The Flames of Ocracoke
by Noxbait
Summary: Sequel to "Ring Around the Roses." Following their defeat of Pestis, the Winchesters find themselves almost immediately embroiled in turmoil, both domestic and foreign. When a century old urban legend becomes less of a legend and more of a legitimate threat, it will take a team effort to attempt to defeat an ancient evil stalking the Eastern seaboard before it goes up in flames.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello! First: if you are one of my lovely readers of "Face Down in the Desert," I want you to know that ch14 is coming along! Fingers crossed it will be posted Tues/Wed. :)**_

 _ **Second: This story is the product of two years of hard work, caffeine, blood sweat and tears. Ok, maybe not blood although probably at least a couple paper cuts along the way. This is a collaborative effort between me and my bestie, DamonsGirl92. As a brief introduction, this story follows directly after "Ring Around the Roses." RAtR was written and published in the space of a couple months. This one has taken a lot longer...because one of us got married (hint: not me), we both moved 3x apiece, one of us bought a house (hint: not me), and we both changed jobs 3x. In other words, the past 2 years have been Dingo ate my baby crazy for both of us. This story went through 3 complete re-writes and the final version does not even so much as slightly resemble the original version! :)**_

 _ **This story is complete. 18 chapters. We are tweaking as we go but it is all complete and I'll be posting chapters fairly frequently. The story could be considered AU and does have some original characters and love interests for the boys which I know isn't for everyone. :) If you decide to check it out, we hope you'll enjoy it!**_

* * *

 **The Flames of Ocracoke**

 _ **Set ten hours immediately following "Ring around the Roses"**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE**

 _Her angel blade dripped with blood; black against the pale silver of the blade. She straightened, staring down at the rawhead. Wiping a hand across her face, Casey looked up and tilted her head at a sound from somewhere to her left. Crouching back down automatically, her fingers tightened around the blade and she drew a calming breath._

 _The forest seemed still._

 _Too still. Dark eyes professionally analyzing the surrounding area, Casey regulated her breathing. Nothing out of place in a place where everything was out of place. Something was wrong but she couldn't put her finger on it._

 _At the snapping of a twig, Casey whipped her head around, her dark curls fanning out. She silently cursed herself for not bringing a rubber band when she decided to enter Purgatory. She started towards the noise, careful of where she placed each step so as not to alert whatever lay behind the small hill she was climbing._

 _As she neared the top, she could hear shouting. Still in her crouched position, she peered over to see what was going on. There were two men standing near a small stream and a third was about twenty feet away, trying to look like he wasn't eavesdropping. He had a beard and was surveying the landscape with the practiced ease of one accustomed to being hunted. Casey looked back over at the two men arguing by the stream. One of the arguing men was wearing dirty jeans and a dark leather jacket. There was blood all over his clothes, face, and hands. In fact, it appeared that no part of the man's appearance was untouched by blood. The other man was wearing what looked to be hospital scrubs. They might have once been white, but now were a dingy grey._

 _He was also wearing a trench coat._

 _That had to be him._

 _Crowley said he always wore the coat. With a quickness that surprised the trench coated man, Leather Jacket threw a left hook to his jaw, causing him to stumble back._

 _Casey had never known her father. And Trench Coat man was the furthest thing from a father figure. But something in her made her jump up from her hiding place and sprint over to Leather Jacket. She had come all the way to purgatory to find Trench Coat after all..._

" _What the…" Leather Jacket said at the moment Casey tackled him to the ground. He reacted immediately and rolled them over._

 _With Leather Jacket on top of her, Casey summoned a little extra power and used it to fling him off. He landed on the ground next to her and she took advantage of his distracted state. She threw herself at him once more and this time had her blade raised above her, ready for the kill. But once again Leather Jacket proved to be stronger than his weary and bedraggled appearance had led her to believe and he easily flipped them again._

 _Casey fought with everything she had, but Leather Jacket was heavy and his weight was crushing her, making it harder and harder to breathe. She didn't want to use her powers to excess in this place; already she had seen it attract unwanted attention. With darkness clouding the edges of her vision, she moved to block a wicked looking stone blade. The blade was about to strike her when Trench Coat called out._

" _Dean, no! Stop!" he yelled._

 _The man about to kill her stopped mid-strike and looked back at the other man._

" _Get off of her," Trench Coat said as he grabbed the guy and pulled him off of Casey. He stretched out a dirty hand and Casey ignored it, getting up on her own._

" _Do you want to tell me what the hell is going on?" the guy in the leather jacket asked, still in a fighting stance as he stared at her. "Do you know her?"_

" _Yes, Dean." The man in the trench coat nodded, looking at Casey with an inscrutable expression. He said, "This is my daughter."_

 _The men, including the guy with the bushy beard who had been silent during all of this, now turned to look at Casey. She responded with the best smile she could muster, and put as much sass and confidence into her stance as she could. She'd come looking for him and she'd found him and she was going to meet him on her terms._

 _She cocked her head to the side and, still smiling, said "Hiya Dad!"_

* * *

 _Sunday  
_ _0210  
_ _Near Lebanon, KS_

"Are you ok?"

Casey blinked and lifted her head from the window. She rubbed her eyes, reorienting herself to where she was and what was going on. Dark trees blurred by outside the window, but she was in her Mustang and Dean was driving. _So, not purgatory._ Casey took a breath, looking over at Dean. He'd just asked her something. She frowned, "What?"

"Are you ok?" His eyes were concerned as he glanced at her, then back to the road ahead. "You woke up kind of abruptly there, Echo."

"Dreaming, I think." Casey said, trying to shake the thoughts of purgatory out of her mind. She rubbed her eyes and frowned; the memory made her wonder.

"What's the matter?" Dean asked, touching her shoulder, "Nightmare?"

"Sort of." She shrugged, sitting up and looking around at the dark scenery. Casey asked, "Is it weird that Dad hasn't gotten in touch with me all this time since he left us in Chicago?"

Dean took a slow breath and she could see him considering the situation. Obviously she wasn't the only one wondering about her father. He finally looked at her and said, "He's a busy little guy, Casey. Could be nothing."

Casey nodded, "Or it could be something."

"That too. You tried getting in touch with him?"

"A couple times. Nothing." Despite her worry, she couldn't stop the yawn. She smiled at Dean and said, "You're probably right. He hasn't ever exactly been the best at communicating, has he?"

"Not exactly." Dean snorted and it was the sound of someone who had long experience waiting on communication from Castiel. Smiling to alleviate her worry, Dean added. "He'll come when he can."

Casey nodded and squinted at the dark road ahead. It felt like they'd been driving forever. She knew she was whining, but she was exhausted enough not to care, "How much longer?"

"About fifteen more minutes." Dean grinned, stretching his neck and turning the radio up now that she was awake. "You getting anxious to see my place?"

Casey smiled back, "I am. But I'm also just anxious to sleep."

"You've been asleep…" He did some mental calculations, "for almost four hours. And that's after we pulled over for a nap. You shouldn't have healed me after…"

"Of course I should have." Casey countered with another yawn. "You weren't going to be driving my car with a broken hand, mister. I want my baby...and you, in one piece." She pulled his coat around her and resettled a pinch closer to him. "I'm tired. Exhausted. Worn out. But I'm also fine. I just need sleep. More sleep."

Dean studied her, trying to gauge her honesty. She blinked up at him drowsily with a smile and he nodded, "So go back to sleep."

"I'm talking about a bed." Casey groaned, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I'm talking about a cozy bed with pillows…"

"And memory foam." Dean grinned, pulling off the interstate.

 _Almost home._

* * *

"That's sad."

Bennett's voice was soft but drew Sam's attention. She'd been flipping the dial of the radio for the past hour trying to keep him awake as he drove. He yawned and glanced at her. The tail end of news report was just going off and he hadn't heard a word of it. He asked, "What's sad?"

"A kid went missing on a family vacation in Oklahoma. There aren't any leads on the case." Bennett said, handing him a cup. It was the last, rather cold, dregs of her fifth cup of coffee. At least he _thought_ it was her fifth cup; he'd lost track a long time ago. She narrowed her eyes and said, "You zoned out again."

Sam drank the coffee and nodded. Maybe they should have stopped somewhere for the night rather than pushing forward on a ten hour drive with only a brief nap at a gas station. Everyone was still feeling pretty lousy after the confrontation with Pestis. He grimaced at the nasty taste of the brew and nodded at the radio, "What about the kid? Kids disappear all the time. Was there something odd about it?"

"I disappeared." Bennett said, studying him like he was the answer to a question she hadn't asked.

Sam realized he probably could have worded his question a bit more sensitively but he'd just been too tired to think straight. Trying to keep the Impala relatively between the correct lines, he looked over at her and said, "I'm sorry, Bennett. Are you ok? I know all of this...it's been pretty crazy for you."

"I'm ok, I guess." She shrugged, "It just feels weird knowing there were probably reports in the news about me when I disappeared. I don't know if there was anyone who even missed me. You know? I don't remember exactly having a lot of friends. At least not the kind who would have cared if I disappeared. This kid's probably got it worse, though. He's probably dead."

"You were dead." Sam said, meeting her eyes. Even though he knew it was partially her coping mechanism, her cool detachment to her own past sometimes worried him.

"But I got to come back." Bennett said, a quick smile lighting her tired face. "That doesn't happen to most people."

"True." Sam nodded, not for the first time admiring her positivity.

Most people would be bitter about being condemned to hell from a deal their father made, but she focused on the fact that she was alive. As Bennett resumed the head rubbing that she'd been doing too much of the entire trip, he frowned and glanced at his watch. Not much longer until they were at the Bunker but not yet long enough since her last dose of ibuprofen for her to take any more medication.

Turning the radio down, Sam shifted uncomfortably in his own seat and tried to find that elusive position where his chest didn't hurt so much. He wondered how Casey was doing; she'd all but collapsed after taking care of his ribs and Dean's hand. Assuring them that she was just low on Angel-power didn't do much to allay Dean's concerns and Sam couldn't blame him. Add to that his growing concern about Bennett, and Sam again felt like they should have stopped somewhere for the night.

"Hey, how are you doing?" He asked softly, glancing at Bennett as she shifted and leaned her head against the seat back.

"Just a headache, Sam." Bennett smiled slightly, eyes closed.

"You don't look ok."

She grimaced, "Well, it's not getting worse, so that's something."

"But it's not getting better?"

Bennett chewed her lip and shook her head very slowly. "Not really."

Sam frowned and said, "We're almost there now. Not much farther. When we get there, I think Casey should…"

"Go to bed." Bennett interrupted. She touched his arm, "We _all_ should. I just need to sleep."

Still not convinced, Sam nodded and said, "We get home, you can sleep as long as you want."

"We don't have to get them breakfast?"

Sam grinned, "Absolutely not. They can fend for themselves tomorrow."

* * *

"This is it?"

Dean heard the disappointment in her voice. Obviously, Casey Economou was used to a certain standard of living. He looked at the Bunker as he parked her Mustang. He had to admit that it wasn't exactly a Beverly Hills mansion, and it looked a bit foreboding in the darkness, but it was home.

He said, "Hey, it's better on the inside. I promise. Remember, gun range…"

Casey glanced from the dismal scene ahead of her to the man next to her. She tried to hide her amusement at his shattered expression. He looked so upset that she felt bad that she hadn't shown more enthusiasm. Squeezing his arm, Casey grinned and said, "Cheer up, Deano. I'm a _what's on the inside_ kind of girl anyway."

"What's that mean?" Dean took his hand off the door handle and looked at her suspiciously. He saw the glint of amusement in her eyes. He said, "You're more interested in my brains," Dean tapped his head, then flexed his arm, "then you are in my considerable brawn?"

"Mmm." Casey chewed her lip, staring at his arm. "Ok, so I'm an inside _and_ outside kind of girl…"

"I thought so." Dean nodded triumphantly. "Well, come on then. You've seen the brawn of the Bunker. Let me show you the brains."

Casey eased out of the car, still stiff and achy and weak after their battle with Pestis. They'd rested up for a few hours before setting off toward Kansas, but even that and the brief hour or so they spent napping at that gas station hadn't been enough to completely revitalize her. _Or any of us,_ Casey mused watching Dean slowly move to the trunk and try not to grimace as he reached in for their bags. She'd managed to take some of the edge off of his and Sam's injuries, but that had been her last act of angelic power for awhile. Her batteries were in need of some time to recharge.

Leaning against the car, Casey stared vacantly down at her bag. _I should probably grab that_ , she thought to herself. But no, her hands didn't cooperate and then the trunk was closed and all their bags were in Dean's hands. She blinked up at him and caught his glance of concern.

"Casey?" Dean stepped toward her, leaning down to peer at her more closely. "How are you doing? Be honest."

"I'm honestly exhausted and honestly looking forward to some memory foam." She smiled wearily, hand on his arm. "Long week, you know."

"Oh, believe me, I know." Dean blew out a breath and looked up the road expectantly. He could hear the nearing thrum of the Impala's engine so he turned back to Casey. Her vacant expression told him all he needed to know. "Come on, Echo. Let's head on in. You look ready to drop and my arms are kind of full right now, so…."

Casey shook her head and pushed off the car. "Very funny. I'm perfectly capable…"

"Of many things, yes I know." Dean interrupted, watching her stumbling gait. "How about you start by getting the door unlocked?"

It took her three tries to get her hand to stop shaking enough to unlock the door, but thankfully, Dean didn't comment. He just stepped past her to turn on the lights, then allowed her to enter while he took a quick look up the road. Once he saw the lights of the Impala, he followed her inside. Casey gripped the railing of the balcony and stared down into the bunker.

"Wow." It was a pathetic understatement but all her weary and flabbergasted brain could come up with at the moment.

Dean just smiled as if that was the common reaction to seeing the interior of the bunker and nodded, "Right? Come on down."

Casey followed him down the stairs, eyes wide as she took in the expanse of the bunker. It was much different than what she had envisioned when Dean had told her he lived underground. She'd been picturing a spartan bomb shelter out of the war movies Grandma Bea had enjoyed. This, while definitely lacking much in the way of decor, was actually rather homey. _In a man cave kind of way,_ Casey smiled.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Dean dropped their bags in a pile and put an arm around Casey's shoulders, leading her deeper into the bunker. Hoping he was leading her to a bed, Casey couldn't complain when he pulled her toward a couch. She needed to sit down for a few minutes to recover enough strength to even make it to a bed.

"You were right." Casey breathed out in awe, relaxing into Dean's arms and letting her head rest on his shoulder. "This _is_ the Batcave!"

"This is not the Batcave…" Sam called out in disagreement as he and Bennett made their way past them.

"Fortress of Solitude, then?" Casey called out, watching them disappear down one of the maze-like hallways. "You seem like a Superman guy to me, Sam."

"Nah, he's more of a Captain America." Dean muttered as they left the room. "So morally upright all the time. Boring."

She smiled, still trying to wrap her head around the expanse of the Bunker. And, given that she wasn't exactly able to walk a straight line, she'd only seen a very small part of it so far. Namely, the entry way and what constituted the living room. She curled her feet up under her on the couch and felt the last bit of tension relax out of her body.

Dean shifted so they were more comfortable and asked, "How did I get a cool chick like you?"

"You went to purgatory, dear. You were bound to find something." Casey teased, patting him on the chest.

"If I remember correctly, you found me. Tackled me to the dirt, actually." Dean mumbled sleepily.

"Mmmhmm good times." Casey smiled, letting her eyes close. "Where's that memory foam you told me about?"

Dean wrapped his arms around her and settled back into the couch. "I'll show you in a minute. Just need a quick nap."

Casey felt herself relax. A quick nap had never sounded so good…

* * *

Not terribly surprised to find Dean and Casey already taking up residence on the couch, Sam led Bennett past the living room. It didn't look like his brother or Casey was planning to move for the rest of the night. Since they didn't exactly have guest rooms set up for company, and given that it was late and he was exhausted from driving all day, he wasn't inclined to make too big a deal out of anything. If they wanted to sleep on the couch, that was fine with him. So he opened his door and dropped Bennett's bag of meager possessions on a convenient chair.

"Bathroom's through there." He said, glancing at Bennett. She was slumped against the doorway, eyes barely open and underlined in dark shadows. Stepping closer, he touched her shoulder, "Bennett? I'll leave the ibuprofen on the table."

She gave him a thumbs up and stumbled toward the bed. He followed her and made sure she didn't hit the floor halfway there. Hand on her shoulder, Sam asked, "Are you going to be ok?"

"I just need to close my eyes and not fight any more supernatural monsters," Bennett said, sitting down and instantly falling backwards onto the bed, "for at least the next twelve hours or so."

Sam smiled, and helped her get settled under the covers. "Well, this is about the safest place we know. No monsters allowed."

"Good. Because I've had enough of them." Bennett whispered sleepily. She reached out and took his hand as he started to rise. "Sam?"

"Yeah?" He asked, sitting down next to her.

"You're going to be close, right?"

"Just down the hall." Sam smiled, squeezing her hand. "I'll leave the door open, ok? You have your cell?"

"Yes."

"Then call me if you need something. Anything. Promise me."

"I'll call you, Sam. Thanks." Bennett smiled again and tucked her hand under her chin, rolling onto her side.

"Sleep well." Sam said. He sat on the edge of the bed for a few minutes until he was sure she had fallen asleep. He checked to see that her cell was on and next to her, then headed out into the hallway.

Grab a blanket. Find a spare bed to crash on. That was the sum of his plan for the night. But then he stopped by the door of Dean's room and his plans changed.

 _Ah, memory foam..._

* * *

 _Sleep well._

 _Sleep well._

Bennett repeated Sam's words in her head as if they would magically help her actually get some sleep. The headache had eased off for awhile earlier and she'd gotten a few minutes of sleep. Now though, alone in the dark with her thoughts, the pain had doubled as her heart thudded in her chest. She'd tried tossing and turning as if that would help; all that did was make her head even more likely to explode in the next twenty minutes. Nothing stopped her from thinking; from remembering. So she focused even harder on painting herself a pleasant picture, smooshed a pillow around her face and held on for dear life.

* * *

 _ **Hope you enjoyed! Will update fairly frequently so you won't have to wait too long. ;)**_


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

 _They had been walking for what felt like days, though in reality it had only been a couple of hours. Dean was reeling after learning that Cas had a daughter. And that his daughter had just given him a run for his money. He realised it was only his size advantage that had given him a leg up. Well that and the fact that she was holding back from using her powers. A Nephilim! He wished Sam were around so he could get some intel on what exactly that meant._

 _The girl was strong and, given a rematch, he really wasn't sure he could take her._

" _Hey Dean, you wanna keep up?" Benny said, slowing to wait for Dean._

" _Uhh, yeah. We should rest here for a minute." Dean replied, surveying the dismal landscape and rubbing a hand across his shoulder._

 _He was sore and tired and wanted to be out of purgatory. Looking ahead, he focused on Cas and the girl he had introduced as his daughter. They hadn't had much time for the meet and greet as they'd been attacked by a group of Shtriga just after they'd sorted out that Cas preferred Dean not to kill her._

" _What's wrong Dean? You a little tired after getting beat up by a girl?" Benny drawled with a grin and a wink._

" _Hey, if you remember, I was about to win." Dean retorted, glaring at the vampire, then looking up as Cas and his daughter rejoined them._

 _Overhearing their conversation, Casey said, "Congratulations, you can beat up a girl half your size. Gold star for you, big guy."_

 _Dean took a step closer to Casey and glared down at her, "Well maybe you shouldn't have attacked me."_

 _Casey refused to back down. Straightening to her full five feet four inches, she closed the distance between them and stood toe to toe with him. "Well maybe you shouldn't punch people. It isn't nice you know."_

" _Ok, you two. Wanna keep it down?" Benny interjected. "One angel was enough to put up a neon sign and now we have two! What say we not draw more attention to ourselves?"_

" _The vampire is right." Cas nodded, eyes narrowed as he looked ahead, "We need to keep moving."_

" _Tell that to Echo here," Dean said with a smirk._

" _Casey. My name is Casey," Casey said in annoyance. For some reason, the man couldn't say Economou."Just because you can't pronounce my last name doesn't mean you can stick me with a stupid nickname."_

" _We need to leave. Now." Cas repeated, ignoring Dean's new nickname for Casey._

" _Fine, let's go, Echo," Dean turned to make sure she was going to follow._

" _Hey Dean," Casey called. Once Dean was facing her, Casey wasted no time in landing a wicked left hook to his jaw. "Don't call me Echo."_

 _Dean watched her catch up with Cas and Benny as he began to follow. He rubbed his jaw but still had the smirk on his face. There was something about this girl. Something he liked. He broke into a full blown smile as he jogged up to the rest of the group._

* * *

 _Sunday_

 _0946_

 _Men of Letters Bunker_

 _Lebanon, KS_

It took a full minute for Dean to reorient himself from the vivid memory of purgatory. He shifted on the couch as Casey mumbled something incoherent and buried her head between his chest and a convenient pillow. He smiled, feeling her in his arms and reflecting on his dream. The memory of their seemingly endless trek through purgatory had only served to remind him of why he loved her so much. She'd blown him away with her spunk and determination as they'd fought side by side against all the monsters purgatory could throw at them.

Letting his hand rest on her hair, Dean glanced at his watch. Almost ten am. _Can't remember the last time I slept in this late,_ he thought as he yawned and let himself relax. Nowhere he particularly needed to be at the moment and the only reason he could think of to move would be to get something to eat.

 _Great. And now I'm hungry._

Dean closed his eyes, attempting to ignore the sudden craving for bacon. He tried to remember what they had in the kitchen. _Was_ there any bacon? Or they could just go out for breakfast. Nah, he didn't want to suggest that because he wasn't sure Casey was up to it anyway. Glancing around the room, Dean shifted slightly and wrapped his arms around Casey. They'd both fallen asleep with all the lights on and he only vaguely remembered seeing Sam and Bennett the night before. He knew they were safely inside the Bunker and from there he hadn't cared much what they'd decided to do. As exhausted as they'd looked, he figured they'd crashed somewhere too. The Bunker was silent which meant that he was probably not getting his breakfast served in bed, or on the couch, this morning.

"We have gotta stop sleeping on the couch." Dean groaned as he stretched out his arms above his head.

"Cffffffffy. Pwezzz bweeee cfffffffy."

Dean looked down. Casey had just mumbled something into his chest. He poked a finger at her shoulder and asked, "You trying to exorcise me or something?"

Casey grunted, then moved so her face wasn't completely covered. She mumbled, slightly more coherently, "Please bring me coffee…"

"I think we have some."

"Think?" Casey twisted and looked up at him, suddenly more alert. "You _think_ you have coffee? Please tell me you have coffee."

"Well, as I said," Dean grinned, "I _think_ I do. I'll have to go to the kitchen if we want a confirmation of that fact."

"What happened to room service?" Casey moaned, rubbing her eyes and contemplating going back to sleep.

Dean pursed his lips and shrugged, "Think they took the morning off. Shall we?"

"I suppose so. I am rather comfy, though."

"I know." Dean nodded, "But I'm not." He shifted her gently into a sitting position next to him. He groaned as he stretched and rubbed his side. "I may need a chiropractor."

Casey looked at him sympathetically and said, "I'm sorry. You want something?"

"Bacon. Coffee. Ibuprofen." He nodded, assessing her. She looked rested, not so pale, eyes still shadowed, but bright. Probably still needed a few more days to catch up on her rest, but he felt relieved to see her looking so much better. He sat up and asked, "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Rested." Casey smiled. "Not ready to take on anything except the coffeemaker, but I'm good, Deano. I'm really good."

"Good. So breakfast?" Dean stood up, feeling muscles protest his movement. "Provided we actually have anything edible in there."

Casey allowed him to pull her to her feet, only slightly unsteady and weak. She followed him into the kitchen, praying for coffee. Glancing around, she said, "This is a nice, rather utilitarian, kitchen."

Dean nodded, and handed her a bag of coffee. "The Men of Letters weren't exactly gourmets, but it works." He opened the fridge and said, "Looks like we have some eggs. Not sure the milk is good for cereal."

"I can do eggs." Casey smiled. _Scrambled, at least_. "Please let me start with the coffee, though."

Pointing at the coffeemaker, Dean gave her a quick kiss and said, "I'm going to run and see if anyone else wants breakfast."

"Mmhmm." Casey smiled, inhaling the scent of coffee.

He grinned, then headed down the hall toward the bedrooms. Everything was still quiet in the bunker, so he assumed Sam and Bennett were still sleeping. Rolling his shoulders, Dean momentarily regretted not having made it to his comfy bed last night. Reaching Sam's room, Dean found the door cracked and he peeked inside. Bennett was under the covers, sound asleep, and spread across the entire bed. Smiling, Dean left the door cracked open and started back down the hall toward the guest bedrooms.

He paused in surprise when he reached his own bedroom and found the door open and the light on inside. Looking into the room, Dean grinned. For a second he was tempted. No, for _more_ than a second actually. He was _extremely_ tempted to dump a bottle of water on his brother's head. Sam was face down, sound asleep on top of his own bed. Sam still had his boots on and looked like he'd fallen asleep immediately upon hitting the inviting surface. Given that he'd driven the entire trip from Chicago, Dean couldn't blame him for being wiped out.

Turning the light off, Dean softly closed the door to his room and headed back toward the kitchen.

* * *

Sam was just getting dressed after a quick shower when his phone buzzed. Text message. He sat down on the edge of Dean's bed and glanced at the message. It was from Bennett.

 _You up? :)_

He smiled and texted back _Yes. Good morning!_

 _It's almost noon._

 _So it's still morning. Hungry?_ He texted back, wondering even as he did why he didn't just walk down the hall and talk to her. But then his phone buzzed again and he grinned.

 _Starving. How come they didn't bring us breakfast?_

Sam stood up and texted back _Because they're probably still asleep. I'll go see what we've got._

 _Breakfast in bed?!_

 _Yep. Sit tight._

He got another smiley face from Bennett as he hurried down the hall. Expecting to find his brother and Casey still asleep on the couch, Sam was pleasantly surprised to find coffee in the pot and scrambled eggs on two plates in the refrigerator. He grabbed the plates and reheated the eggs and the coffee. Finding a large cookie sheet in lieu of any fancy serving tray, Sam decided it would have to do. Whistling as he worked, he managed to make the breakfast look relatively glamorous even on utilitarian plates and leftover fast food napkins.

Heading out of the kitchen, he took a quick look around and didn't see anyone. Dean and Casey's bags were still dumped next to the couch, but there was no sign of them. They were either making out somewhere he hoped not to run into, or taking a tour. At least they'd left some breakfast, so he wasn't inclined to care too much what they were doing.

Knocking on the half-open door, he stepped into his room. Bennett was still under the covers and waved sleepily at him as he walked in. She pushed herself up a little against the pillows and smiled, "Hi."

"Hi." Sam smiled and sat down next to her.

"Wow." Bennett said with genuine awe as she looked at the spread.

Sam was rather proud of himself for thinking of the cookie sheet. He said, "Breakfast in bed, as promised."

"I've never had breakfast in bed." Bennett said, reaching for a cup of coffee. Her expression flickered, though, as she took a sip.

"Bennett?"

She shrugged, "I just remembered. I did have breakfast in bed once."

"Yeah?"

"It was my tenth birthday." Bennett nodded slowly, staring at her cup. "My mom brought me...well, she didn't bring it exactly. The maid carried it in. The cook made it. My mom just presided over it, gave me a kiss and then left with my dad for Europe for the next month."

Sam frowned, gut twisting in disgust. "That's terrible."

Bennett smiled, "Actually, it wasn't so bad. Things were always better when...when they weren't around. They hated each other and my dad hated me. I don't think my mom really cared about me one way or another. She'd deal with me, you know, if she had to. Usually she didn't have to."

"I'm sorry." Sam squeezed her hand.

"It's ok. It was a long time ago. This is much, much nicer, Sam." Bennett smiled again, reaching for a fork.

"Well, I have to admit, I didn't make it. Apparently Dean and Casey were already up and scrambled up enough eggs for all of us. So hopefully Casey made the eggs because if it was Dean…"

Bennett's eyes widened, the fork halfway to her mouth as she asked, "He's not really a bad cook, is he?"

Sam shook his head, "No. He's a surprisingly good cook." He thought back to

that burger Dean had made not long after they'd found the bunker. "He's a _really_ great cook actually. You need to ask him to make burgers."

"For supper tonight?"

"You can ask him. We'll probably have to run and get food of some sort today anyway. I think this was about the sum total of what we had in the kitchen." They ate for a few minutes, then Sam asked, "How're you feeling today?"

"Better." Bennett nodded, squinting a little, "Just the headache."

"Still?"

"Yeah. But I think it's getting better." Bennett wrapped her hands around the coffee cup.

He nodded, studying her. She looked worn out. And he didn't think she felt as good as she was trying to pretend she did. He said, "Maybe we should have Casey…"

"I'm ok, Sam." Bennett interrupted. "Really. I'm sure it's just from the concussion."

"Casey healed you back in Chicago." Sam said, not buying it.

"And we drove all night and maybe I'm just overtired." Bennett yawned. "I'll talk to Casey if it gets worse, ok? It's not too bad and she's still recovering too."

"Ok." Sam nodded, "But you have to tell us if anything changes, right?"

"I will. I promise."

Sam wasn't convinced, but he let it drop. For the moment.

* * *

 _Men of Letters Bunker_

"I can't believe you have your own dungeon!"

"Right?" Dean grinned, thoroughly enjoying Casey's reactions to all the hidden treasures of the bunker. "I couldn't believe it at first either. Comes in handy, I have to admit."

"I bet." Casey nodded, sipping her coffee and leaning against the shelves. She thought about everything she'd seen so far on their tour of the bunker and mused, "Do you ever, you know, sometimes just get this weird flash of how absolutely freaky our lives are? I mean, we're staring at what is essentially exactly what you said. A dungeon." She sighed, looking up at Dean. "And we think it's as normal as a family room."

Dean considered her words for a moment, then shrugged, "I guess so. It's just that this _has_ been my life. It _is_ normal to me. I mean, I've never had my own dungeon before, but otherwise, yeah, this is pretty normal."

"Me too." Casey smiled. "I have to say, being in a relationship with someone who completely _gets_ me and this life, _my_ life, is a welcome change."

"Agreed. I think it was destiny." Dean teased. He led her back out of the room and into the hallway.

"No, it was purgatory."

"True." He leaned down for a quick kiss. "So you wanna see the gun range now, Echo?"

"Absolutely!" She grinned and followed him down yet another hall. _I think I'm going to need a map..._

By the time they reached the gun range, she _knew_ she was going to need a map. Standing in the doorway to the room, she tapped a finger against the doorframe, cursing the fact that the bunker had such amazing cell reception considering it was a deep dark hole in the ground. And cursing the fact she'd bothered to have her cell phone on her. She should have just ignored Yvette's call. Dean cocked a gun behind her and Casey spun around and shot him a warning glare. She didn't need him shooting in the background.

"No, no I understand." Casey said to Yvette as she rolled her eyes at Dean. He looked a mixture of impatient and excited. Literally bouncing from foot to foot, he was motioning frantically to her. She gave him a one second motion and turned away. "Look, Yvette, I understand, but you need to understand where I'm coming from too. This year is my sabbatical. I have been in the office more frequently than I had planned but that has been for research. With everything that happened at the museum...I just don't even know…"

"Yvette. Yvette! I will come back as soon as I can." Casey ignored Dean's sudden shocked expression. "But right now I need time. I told you already. I was in that attack at the Gala and right now...right now I just need some time to regroup. It was a lot to go through. I will call you. Yes. Yes, I will. Ok. I know. I hear you...I will call you. Yvette? I'll call you. Good bye."

"Wow. I don't like Yvette." Dean said, then proceeded to drill five perfect holes in the target. "She seemed tense."

"Her museum was just attacked by monsters. Demons." Casey slid the phone in her pocket and put her hand on her hip. "Of course she's tense."

Dean grimaced and set his gun down on the counter. "Yeah. Ok. I guess she's got a right to be tense."

"Yes she does. And the cops are, of course, not buying any of the witnesses stories about black eyed monsters. Yvette doesn't have a clue what really went down. All she knows is she has a major PR nightmare on top of a lot of dead staff and guests."

"I get it." Dean nodded, leaning back and hopping onto the counter. He shrugged, "But why's she yakking to you about it? It's not your problem."

Casey snorted. "How is it _not_ my problem, Dean? I'd say we were kind of a big part of the problem. Not to mention the fact that I'm an employee. I have a responsibility."

Dean shook his head, "Responsibility? You saved them. End of responsibility."

"No it's not. It's my job."

"Well you don't need a job now."

Casey's jaw dropped. She stared up at him and asked, "Excuse me?"

"What?" Dean shrugged, surprised at her indignation. "What's wrong?"

"I don't need a job now?" Casey folded her arms across her chest, feeling suddenly irritable. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Um...that you.."

"Just stop right there." Casey waved a finger at him. "Don't you dare say it again. That I don't need a job. What? You think I'm just going to be a stay at home girlfriend? You don't think I'm going back to Chicago?"

"No." Dean said, then regretted it when he saw the flash of anger cross her face. "What? You were planning to go back?"

"It's my life. My job, Dean." Casey said, taking a step closer to him. "I worked my entire

life to get where I am today. I have a amazing career…"

"I thought hunting was your career…" _And that I was your life_. He shook his head and slid off the counter. "Echo, I...I don't understand…"

"You don't understand that I have a life that I may want to go back to?" Casey asked, heart pounding. She hated the way she was feeling, but couldn't stop it. Everything...it was all just reminding her...of something, _someone,_ she wanted to forget about. Someone who had tried to control her, to make her his perfect little… Casey shook her head. That wasn't Dean. Nevertheless, she couldn't deal with it right now. She said, "I don't want to talk about this."

"But we are." Dean said, catching her arm as she turned away. He said gently, "Casey, we're talking about it. Don't...don't lock me out. Please. I'm not _him._ "

Casey felt something deep within her relax as she looked up at him. Her muscles relaxed as he rubbed her arm, finally taking her hand. She took a shaky breath and said, "Dean."

"Yeah?"

"Maybe now isn't the time…." She squeezed his hand at his hurt expression. "But I'm not locking you out. Ok? I just...I think we've been through too much. You know? Just we need to step back a bit and then, then we can discuss it when we're not overtired and coming down from a hunt."

Dean nodded, "Ok. Yeah. You're right." He pulled her close into a hug and kissed the top of her head, "Not a good time. I'm sorry."

"Me too." She wrapped her arms around him and breathed easier. "I never thought this would be...so difficult. Relationships shouldn't seem more challenging than a salt and burn."

"I know." Dean agreed. "But if we can take out ghosts, zombies, fairies and every other evil thing, we can make this work."

"Fairies?" Casey's eyes widened, "You aren't serious."  
Dean grimaced at the memory and nodded, "Oh I am, trust me. They're not all cute like Tinkerbell. Mean. Just plain mean. Even if it was kind of sexy…" He cleared his throat and didn't finish his statement when she raised an eyebrow. He shrugged and said, "Nuked it on high for sixty seconds."

"Uh uh, you did not!" Casey laughed.

"Oh I totally did." Dean grinned, "Microwaved that evil little…"

"No way!"

"Sixty seconds on high equals one extra crispy naked little fairy." Dean grinned, arm

around her shoulders as they headed back upstairs. "And there you have it. Foolproof way to gank a fairy."

Casey shook her head, "I'll add it to my list. I had no idea they were real."

"Yeah. Real enough. Big fat pains in the butt." He shook his head, turning at the sound of footsteps from the living area. He saw Sam heading their way and called out, "Dude, if you drooled on my pillow I will shoot you. Why were you sleeping on my memory foam anyway? We do have guest rooms you know."

"Do _you_ know where the extra sheets are?" Sam asked, then frowned, "Do we even own extra sheets?"

"I don't know, Martha Stewart. I also didn't know I still had to tell you to keep out of my stuff. Thought you outgrew that when you went to college." Dean smirked.

"You're _always_ going through my stuff." Sam rolled his eyes, "Besides, you weren't using it."

"What are you, five?" Dean asked, completely ignoring the fact that Sam was right. He _did_ go through Sam's stuff.

"Whatever, man." Sam shook his head. "Thanks for breakfast, by the way."

Dean grinned, "It was good wasn't it?"

"It was eggs, Dean." Sam rolled his eyes. "Speaking of which, that was all the food we have in the kitchen. Bennett wants burgers for supper so we were going to run to town and grab some food."

"Get beer. And chips. And we're probably low on toilet paper too…" Dean added, then grinned sheepishly at Casey.

"Uhuh." Sam nodded, looking as uncomfortable as Dean. "Ok, ok I get it. We need everything."

"Yeah and while you're there," Dean grinned, "get pie."

* * *

 _Later that evening_

Casey heard something hit the floor in the kitchen and she fervently hoped it wasn't her burger. She was starving and it seemed like Dean and Bennett had been in the kitchen working on those burgers for an extremely long time. Listening to their laughter, she smiled and reached for more chips. If they were having that much fun, she'd suffer with the chips and dip for a bit longer. She dropped a spot of dip on her notebook and huffed out an irritated breath. Wiping the drip up with a napkin, Casey sighed as she looked at her notebook.

It was just an unfortunate reminder of the tiff she and Dean had had earlier. Work. Life. And two apparently very different viewpoints on what she should be doing about her life and work. It still bothered her, remembering how Dean had seemed to imagine that she was never going back to Chicago. Never returning to her life. And it bothered her that _she_ seemed so bothered by the idea of his idea of her staying here permanently. _This was all so much easier in Purgatory_ , she mused, staring down at her notes. She needed to get back to work. Casey yanked her ever present ponytail holder off her wrist and twisted her hair up into a messy bun.

"Why do you always put your hair up when you're working on something?"

Casey looked up as Sam dropped heavily onto the couch next to her, extending one of the two beers he carried. She accepted it gratefully as he turned the television on. She said, "It gets in my way. I don't know how you stand it." She smirked, considering his hair, "I have an extra ponytail holder if you want to borrow it."

"My hair isn't that long, Casey." Sam shook his head and stole some chips from the bag next to her.

"Yes it is." Casey raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, Sam. There is only room in this group for one head of fabulous hair."

Sam took a drink and stared at her, eyes skeptical. He finally asked, "Your point?"

"Time for a change." Casey held up her fingernail scissors. Lame, but they were all she had with her. "Snip snip."

He laughed, "That's hilarious."

Casey rolled her eyes, still brandishing the scissors, "Yeah. Well, I'll find a real pair of scissors."

"Um, yeah, thanks. I'm good."

"What if I said I went to beauty school for like two weeks." It had been more like a week and a half, but who was counting? "Then would you let me cut your hair?"

"You did? But no, I wouldn't."

"No I didn't." Casey grinned, getting to her knees on the couch and looming over him with a cheesy grin, "Come on Sam!"

Sam raised an eyebrow at her and shook his head, "You're nuts."

"Snip snip…" Casey leaned closer and he jumped up from the couch, a grin on his face.

"What exactly do you think you're doing, Miss Economou?" Sam asked, munching on another chip as he backed away from her.

"What needs to be done." Casey said in a deep, menacing voice. She tried to sound intimidating, but she couldn't help but smile at the ludicrousness of the situation. What in the world had even put this in her head? But then Sam tried to grab the scissors and suddenly it was game on. "Not happening, Winchester."

Sam shook his head, "Yeah, well you're not getting anywhere near my hair…"

Casey jumped over the coffee table and Sam took off running in the other direction. Everything else was quickly forgotten. Life. Work. Her fight with Dean. She was laughing too hard to think about any of that. Sam had just dodged past her and nearly tripped over a chair. Casey burst out laughing and started running toward him again but suddenly Dean stepped out from the kitchen and caught her around the waist.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to run with scissors?" He asked, his voice amused, but his expression confused as he looked from her to Sam who was smirking at her from the couch, having taken possession of the bag of chips.

"Yes." Casey nodded, letting herself ease closer to Dean. She grinned, "Though, oddly enough, she didn't have a problem with knives."

"Uh huh. So what exactly did we miss?" Dean asked as Bennett headed to the couch with a couple plates.

"I was trying to cut Sam's hair." Casey explained, "I failed."

"Ha!" Sam shot her a triumphant smirk as Bennett sat down next to him, her expression as confused as Dean's.

Dean laughed, "Next time, _I'll_ hold him down and you can do the cutting."

"Good luck with that one." Sam shook his head.

Bennett frowned and said, "I like it. Leave him alone."

Casey's jaw dropped, "Hey, what happened to female solidarity?"

"What? I can't help it." Bennett grinned at Sam, then reached for her burger.

Casey rolled her eyes and followed Dean back to the kitchen for the rest of the plates. They rejoined the others and Dean said, "I should grow my hair out. What do you think, Sammy?"

"Try it and I'll hurt you." Casey winked at him.

"And she can too." Sam warned.

"Shut up Sam." Dean pulled Casey onto his lap, "No one asked you."

" _You_ just…"

* * *

 _Sunday night_

 _Men of Letters Bunker_

 _Lebanon, KS_

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Come on…" Dean groaned, his arms around her shoulders.

Casey grinned up at him and said softly, "I'm an old-fashioned kind of girl, Deano…"

He kissed her cheek and whispered, "You're my kind of girl is what you are, Echo. You need anything?"

"Nope."

"So you need a blanket?"

"I found the extra bedding."

Dean was surprised, "We _have_ extra bedding?"

"Apparently."

He sighed and kissed her again, "If you get lonely…"

"I know where to find you."

"Or cold…."

"I know where to find you." Casey laughed and gave him one last kiss before opening the door of the guest room and pushing him away. "Go to bed, Dean."

She closed the door behind her and sank gratefully onto the bed. Another good night's sleep was exactly what she needed. Pulling the covers over herself, Casey blinked up at the ceiling, thinking back over the events of the day. She sighed. It was good to be safe, good to be with people who cared for her. Even so, she couldn't help it when her mind travelled back to Chicago and thoughts of her job overwhelmed her.

Rolling to her side, Casey squeezed her eyes closed and tried not to think about any of it. But it was difficult not to when she knew she had a report to finish for Yvette in the morning, and when she thought about how much Dean seemed to be bothered by her continued interest in her job. She didn't like the fact that they'd had a fight about it. Her mind started to wander between memories of purgatory, thoughts of her life before going to purgatory, and what was happening right now. Casey pulled the comforter around herself more tightly as she tried to skip over certain memories.

Because a face kept popping unbidden into her thoughts. Jake. Casey punched the pillow, trying in vain to find a more comfortable position. Of course there was no position that could keep her stupid mind from thinking about him. About the way he'd tried to control her, to keep her from any kind of a life except one fully devoted to him. She'd broken away, finally, and lived her own life without a second thought of him. Until lately.

And she hated herself for even the vague suggestion that there was any similarity between Jake and Dean. Because there wasn't. Really. But she couldn't deny the fact that Dean's overprotective streak was beginning to suffocate her. Sighing for the thousandth time, she turned over once again to try to find a comfortable position. She'd been at it for hours. The bunker wasn't like her apartment. The bed was ok, but the noises were different. It was almost too quiet without the familiar sounds of the city to lull her to sleep. And then as if on cue, she would be on the edge of sleep and the bunker would make a noise that would make her jump.

"Ugh, forget this!" She groaned and threw the covers off after fighting against her thoughts and the unfamiliar setting for hours.

She got up and went to the door. Opening it, she winced as it creaked open. She hoped she didn't wake the boys. Their hunter ears were trained just like hers. Any strange noise at night, and they would wake up. Opening the door just enough for her to slip out, she tiptoed down the hall to Dean's room. His door was cracked open so she quickly slipped inside and closed the door behind her.

Casey smiled when she looked at him, fast asleep under his covers. _He is so cute when he sleeps_ , she thought to herself. She walked to the side of his bed and slipped under the covers. She laid next to Dean and stared at him, feeling her body relax. Just as she was about to fall asleep, a strong arm wrapped around her body and pull her close.

"Thought you were old-fashioned," Dean mumbled sleepily.

"Shut up."

 ** _Sorry for the lousy formatting...i have been having internet and computer issues. just had to buy a new laptop and the formatting is screwed up but I can't fix it. grrr... so annoying. Hope you enjoyed the chapter nonetheless! Chapter 3 probably will be posted tomorrow or Tuesday. :) Thanks for reading!_**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

A week later…

 _Monday  
_ _Men of Letters Bunker  
_ _Lebanon, KS_

"What do you mean you're leaving?" Casey asked in exasperation, watching Dean pack a bag. "Where are you going?"

"Sam caught wind of a demon thing in the next town over. We're gonna go clean up and be back by dinner." Dean said as he zipped his duffel. He avoided Casey's eyes because he knew exactly what he was going to see.

Stubbornness and determination. Exactly what had attracted him to her in the first place, back in purgatory. Right now, though, it was only frustrating him. Because she simply wouldn't let him take care of her. He held his breath and kept packing.

"Ok great, let me grab my stuff."

 _Just like I expected…_ Dean shook his head. "No. I think you should stay here."

"Why do you think I should stay here?" Casey challenged, already sensing where this

was going. They'd been holed up for just over a week now and she was going stir crazy. She needed to get out and do something, but she could see it in his eyes. That overprotective streak a mile wide.

Dean looked up at her and said irritably, "Wouldn't want to take you away from your work, Echo."

Casey narrowed her eyes, anger bristling and tightening the muscles of her shoulders. She said, "That isn't fair. Like it or not, I did have a job; do have a job. A legitimate job."

He slammed a knife down on the table and Casey flinched. Dean didn't seem to notice and asked, "What's that supposed to mean? Hunting monsters not legitimate enough for you?"

"You know it is. Don't you dare act like I'm not invested in this, Dean Winchester." Casey snapped, "You don't have the corner on the market of being raised a hunter, you know that? Just because I got an education and have a job that I'm good at and enjoy…"

"Yeah, you enjoy it alright." Dean nodded, turning back to his packing. He grinned, but it was a sarcastic grin, "Trust me, I get that. I thought Sam was bad with the research and paperwork; every time I turn around you're working on something for the University or having long conversations with Ygritte…"

"Yvette."

"Whatever. You have made it very plain that you love your job…"

Casey put her hands on her hips and asked, "So what? You're ticked because I've been trying to clean up a mess, _our_ mess, from Chicago? You want me to give that job, that life up completely? You want me to be into the hunt more? You haven't let me! You've had me on lockdown ever since we got here..and now you're sneaking out without me and trying to make this all my fault?"

"You almost died a few days ago. You need to rest," Dean said, shoving extra ammo into the bag and avoiding her eyes.

Casey sighed, realizing that her job was only part of the problem. She said softly, "A few days ago? It's been over a _week_. I told you I am fine. If I wasn't fine, I would tell you. You would know."

"Echo…" Dean sighed, looking up at her briefly.

Casey stepped closer to him, feeling a bit of her anger dissipate at the concern in his eyes. She asked, "What is this really about?"

"I just don't want you to get hurt. That's all," Dean said, averting his eyes again.

"I can take care of myself, Deano." She touched his arm and smiled, "You know that; probably better than most."

"I know you can, but…" Dean started.

"Hey, you ready to go?" Sam interrupted, rushing into the room and grabbing the other bag. He glanced from Dean to Casey and sensed that he'd interrupted something that he really didn't want to be a part of. He started backing out of the room.

"Yeah, I'll meet you at the car," Dean said over his shoulder. He zipped up the bag and looked at Casey. "Echo, I gotta go. Just stay here ok? Keep an eye on Bennett."

"She doesn't need a babysitter, Dean. And neither do I."

"I'll be back in a couple of hours." He moved to kiss her cheek but she backed away.

"This isn't over." She glared at him.

"I know." He grinned, "You wouldn't be you if it was. I love you."

"Yeah, love you too. Don't die cuz when you get back I'm gonna kill you." Casey shook her head at him as he smirked at her and followed Sam out the door.

* * *

 _Twenty minutes later…_

"We gonna talk about it?"

Dean shot his brother a glare. No they weren't going to talk about it. He did _not_ want to talk about it. Wasn't going to talk about it. He turned the radio up obnoxiously loud; grateful it was _Def Leppard_ and not a sappy _REO_ song. Dean stared straight ahead and pretended not to hear Sam's heavy sigh over the beat of the music. There wasn't any traffic on the road and he was glad because that meant he could drive fifteen over the limit.

The music, the open road, it was all just about perfect. He couldn't hear Sam muttering and he could let his mind focus on the job ahead and not on the very unhappy woman he'd left behind. _Yeah, that's working well_. His stomach twisted as he thought back to their parting. He probably should have just let her come. But all he could think about, all he could see was her lying pale and cold and bloody on that warehouse floor in Chicago.

Hands sweaty, they tightened on the wheel and he tried to focus on the road ahead. No matter how hard he tried, though, his mind only continued to wander back to Chicago. Or even further back. To Purgatory. Dean remembered everything about that place. The fear, pain, endless hypervigilance. He remembered fighting alongside Casey. He remembered her power, her confidence. Even remembered that he'd never had a problem trusting her to take care of herself. So why was it different now? It was obvious she didn't appreciate his overprotectiveness, and even though he knew she could take care of herself, he couldn't help himself.

Blowing out a breath, he glanced at Sam out of the corner of his eye. But his brother had apparently decided not to fuss at him about his argument with Casey anymore. Sam was frowning down at his cellphone and not paying attention to him.

Grateful for the reprieve, Dean refocused on the job at hand. A demon thing. That's what he'd told Casey. Of course he hadn't told her that Bennett had confided to Sam yesterday that she had sensed a lot of demons in the area. Bad enough that Casey wanted to run right back out into danger every time he turned around. He wasn't going to chance her with a bunch of demons. She'd be mad for awhile, but she'd get over it.

And she'd be alive.

* * *

 _MOL bunker_

Bennett wandered through the deserted hallway, her third beer in her hand, and tried to ignore the what she'd been trying to ignore ever since they'd arrived at the Bunker. Reality. Pausing at Sam's bedroom door, she debated just crashing in bed again. Not that resting helped. Nothing did. She spent more time in bed than she should have and all she did in bed was think. And that left her with a growing case of anxiety that was going to need medicinal intervention before much longer at the rate she was going.

The beer didn't help.

Neither did the whiskey she'd been sneaking from the Bunker's rather copious supply.

Neither did the smoking. Mostly because she'd all but given that vice up because she was flat out too scared to leave the Bunker and heaven help her if Dean caught her smoking in the garage again. They all thought she wasn't smoking because she was trying harder to give it up, not that giving it up was merely a sign of the larger problem.

She was terrified to leave the Bunker, terrified just remembering everything that had happened since she'd been brought back from hell. Terrified of the fact she'd been brought back from hell.

Not even her paintings were helping that much. She'd hoped, after everything that had happened with Pestis, that being in the Bunker would mean she was safe, would mean she could stop painting pictures to keep her mind from going places she didn't want it to go. But it hadn't helped. In the stillness of the Bunker, she'd had to work even harder to paint pictures to block out the memories that were constantly threatening to overwhelm her. It was easier than it had been before Crowley had taught her a few things, but it was exhausting.

Her phone buzzed and she grabbed it like the lifeline it was. Texting Sam helped get her mind off of the nightmares. But she knew it wouldn't last because he and Dean were off hunting demons and he was going to be too busy to write to her. Responding to his text took more concentration than it even had earlier and she was faintly nauseous at the thought that it probably meant she was getting worse.

Part of her felt guilty knowing that she could have gone with them and shredded the demons from a safe distance. She had this power, this ability and she should have gone with them to protect them, to do her part. But she was terrified at the mere thought of leaving the bunker. She'd only left once since their arrival. It had been the first day, when she'd gone with Sam to get groceries. A simple trip to pick up food and she'd almost had a panic attack. It had taken every ounce of concentration that she'd been able to muster to keep from screaming out loud as she'd stood there and stared at the red meat in the display cases; red meat that reminded her so much of hell. Painting a picture to keep herself together, Bennett had realized then that she wasn't going to get better. Hiding in the bunker wasn't the answer, painting pictures wasn't the answer.

There was no escaping, or forgetting, her past. Of who she was; what she was.

Sighing, Bennett rubbed her eyes and took the last sip of her beer. Time to go back to the refrigerator and grab another one. Casey'd been ticked when the guys had left and, after checking on Bennett, had stated she was going to be spending some time in the shooting range. Which meant that Bennett could see if actually getting drunk would help.

* * *

Sam had been sitting there, texting for the past twenty minutes and Dean finally couldn't take it any more. He twisted the volume down on _Styx_ and said, "Dude. What are you? A high-school girl?"

"What?" Sam barely glanced up at him, before returning his attention yet again to his phone.

"Are you texting your girlfriend?" Dean teased, heart only half in it. Much as he loved to give Sam a hard time, he was having trouble working up the energy to tease him. "More to the point, will you ever _stop_ texting her?"

"Shut up, Dean."

Apparently he and Casey weren't the only ones in a bad mood today, Dean mused. His irritation spiking, he frowned at Sam. "What's your problem?"

" _My_ problem?" Sam finally looked up and gave Dean his full attention. He sat up in the seat in that way he always did when he was seriously annoyed. "My problem? You're the one who acted like a jerk to Casey and made it clear you didn't want to talk about it. And now you want to know what my problem is?"

"Well. Yeah." Dean glared because he had no defense. He expected Sam to continue to gripe at him, but instead, his brother just sighed and stared ahead for a moment before speaking up.

"I'm worried about Bennett."

Dean felt even more like a jerk. He turned the radio all the way off and gave Sam his full attention. Because this wasn't a joking matter any more than his issues with Casey were. Mind already racing with possibilities, he asked, "What? Why? What's going on?"

"She's scared." Sam said, looking down at the phone, then back at Dean. "She's let a few things slip here and there. Things are coming back to her, Dean. From when she was a kid; her family. Hell."

"Crap." Dean blew out a slow breath. That was something both of them were well acquainted with and he'd really been hoping the kid was going to luck out and not remember hell. "Is she still painting her pictures?"

"Yeah. She doesn't want to admit it, but I can tell." Sam paused, then said, "I think she would have completely lost it in the grocery store if she hadn't been doing it. You should have seen her...she didn't stop shaking until we got back to the bunker."

Dean frowned, remembering exactly how terrified Bennett had looked after that shopping trip. It had taken all his effort to distract her by clowning around in the kitchen while making burgers that night before she'd finally lost the petrified expression and relaxed a little. Sam hadn't told him until later what had happened, but the skittish way she'd been jumping at everything ever since had told him everything he'd needed to know. Dean asked, "You think she's afraid to leave the bunker?"

Sam nodded, "She hasn't left since that day. No matter what I suggest doing, she doesn't want to leave. And she hasn't been complaining about it like Casey."

Ignoring the implication, Dean said, "She wasn't this scared when we were in Chicago. What's different now?"

"How much have you been paying attention to anything except your fanatical concern for Casey?" Sam asked without heat. "I think it's just catching up with her. Not like she had a lot of time to really deal with any of this while we were dealing with Pestis."

Sam's words stung, but Dean tamped down on any irritation. Because Sam was right. He realized he had been driving everyone crazy with his overprotectiveness. Not just Casey. And he hadn't been paying that much attention to Bennett.

Sam went on, "You and Casey have been storming around either shouting at each other or acting like sappy teenagers. Bennett's been keeping out of your way because I think she's freaked out by your arguing. But she's also not feeling good and she's not sleeping at all. It's only gotten worse the past day or so."

"Since she first sensed the demons?"

Sam nodded.

"What's up with her? I mean, I thought Crowley, you know, did the whole Obi Wan Jedi mentor crap with her." Dean said, tapping the steering wheel in frustration. "I thought she was all scary demon slaying ninja chick now. What's going on?"

"I don't know." Sam sighed, leaning his arm against the window. He said, "I've actually been thinking we may need to contact Crowley."

"See if he knows what's going on." Dean nodded, not exactly liking the idea, but understanding. "You're probably right. When we get this sorted out, we should get ahold of him. Unless he's not picking up like Cas."

Sam frowned, "What's up with that, do you think? I know he's busy and all, but he's not answering you or Casey."

"I don't know." Dean shook his head, realizing they had arrived in the general vicinity that Bennett had said she'd sensed the demons. He pulled the car off the road at the outskirts of the condemned apartment complex. For a moment, they stared at the building together, then Dean shook his head and laughed.

Sam looked over at him like he was insane. He asked, "What in the world is so funny?"

"I've said it before, and I'm going to say it again." Dean said, looking at his brother with a smile. "Our lives are weird, man."

"Yeah. This occurs to you now, why?"

"We're hunting a demon."

"That's not exactly anything new."

Dean snorted and said, "We're hunting a demon based on a lead from your telepathic or whatever, girlfriend and, because I'm an idiot, _my_ girlfriend is probably going to try to kill me when we get back."

Sam's curious expression lightened and he laughed too. "Ok, you're right. This is a new level of weird for us."

"Tell me about it." Dean said, getting out of the car. Sam joined him at the trunk as they gathered their gear. "It hasn't been since high school that we both had a girlfriend at the same time… and that was only for like, what? A week? Cuz I..."

"She's not my girlfriend, Dean."

"What?" Dean frowned up at him. "You have got to be kidding me. You got another name for it?" Dean held up a finger as Sam's mouth opened. He interjected, "Do not say it's complicated."

Sam's mouth snapped shut and he grabbed Ruby's knife, turning away quickly.

Dean sighed, grabbing the shotgun and slamming the trunk, considering that maybe he really did need to learn to be a bit more sensitive. He caught up with Sam and asked, "Sam?"

"What?"

"It _is_ complicated. I get it. I mean, clearly Casey and I haven't got it all figured out."

Sam nodded, "I noticed." He stared at Dean for a long moment, then sighed, "I don't want to rush into anything with Bennett. She's only been back from hell for what, a few weeks? She was a kid when she ended up there and she came back to this? She's stuck with us for a lot of reasons, but I don't want her to feel like she's trapped. I want her to be able to make her own decisions for once and choose her own life. I don't want her to feel like she has to stay with us if she doesn't want to."

Dean crouched next to Sam behind a dumpster and looked up at the complex. It seemed quiet and it looked empty. But they had a long history of good reasons to suspect that appearances were deceiving. In the silence, Dean considered Sam's words. He had a feeling there might be a little more to it than just his brother being a gentleman about Bennett's feelings. Sam wasn't one to talk about it much, but Dean didn't need to be any kind of genius to know that Sam was a bit skittish when it came to relationships.

Trying his best to _not_ make things worse, Dean said, "Ok. That's fair."

"Good. Can we focus on this job?" Sam raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah. Sure. Just one more question, then you go left and I take right." Dean directed.

Sam's expression was wary as he asked, "What's the question?"

"Terminology aside," Dean said, throwing caution to the wind, "you're in love with that girl, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Knew it." Dean nodded, gratified to hear the absolute conviction in his brother's voice. Of course, he just couldn't leave it alone. Because Sam was his little brother and that meant it was his sworn duty to do everything he could to drive him crazy. Dean considered that for a minute, then grinned, "So when you gonna tell Bennett about Becky?"

"I don't know Dean. Probably when you tell Casey about that _bendiest weekend of your life_ ," Sam said, then dodged to the left.

Dean choked on his next words, glaring instead at his brother's back as he took off to the right.

* * *

 _MOL bunker_

It was amazing what putting a few hundred rounds into a paper target could do for a girl's mood. Casey had taken a quick shower and felt a little less homicidal after her own form of therapy. Pulling her damp hair up into a bun, she heard the TV on in the living area and decided to grab a beer and join Bennett. Maybe it would help keep her mind off of how seriously ticked she was with Dean.

Heading down the hallway, she considered their conversation from earlier and the way they'd been fighting recently. She didn't like it. At all. Everything was supposed to better now, now that they were out of purgatory and had their memories back. But ever since arriving at the bunker, things seemed to have gotten worse, not better. Casey frowned as her phone buzzed. Pulling it out of her pocket, she saw she had yet another email from Yvette about the museum.

Before Dean had lost it about her job, Casey hadn't been terribly bothered by the phone calls and emails from her co-worker. Now, she was frustrated with Dean and with Yvette. He seemed to think she should give everything up. Hunting and her job in Chicago. What exactly did he think she was going to do if he wouldn't let her do the two things she was trained to do and fully capable of doing?

Shaking her head, Casey shoved her phone back into her pocket and walked into the kitchen. They needed to have a serious talk about the situation before it got any more out of control than it already was. Heaven knew she loved him and she was grateful for his heartfelt, if stifling, desire to protect her. But she couldn't live like a mouse in a hole forever.

Tossing the cap into the trash, Casey took a drink then headed into the living room. She wasn't exactly surprised when she found Bennett curled up asleep in a corner of the couch. Heading to the couch, Casey pulled a blanket over her, then frowned. She realized Bennett had a half empty bottle of beer cradled in her arms and there was an empty bottle on the floor next to her.

"Huh." Casey pulled the bottle out of Bennett's hands and set it on the table. Bennett pressed her face into the pillow, then settled. Casey sat down next to her, curling her legs up on the couch and grabbing the remote. She clicked around the channels at least four times, finally settling on an old episode of Mythbusters. Drinking her beer, she tapped her fingers on her leg and tried not to think about Dean.

It actually worked for all of twenty minutes.

"I don't understand the point of this show," Bennett's sleepy voice drew Casey's attention from the screen.

"These guys take urban legends or random stunts from TV and movies and recreate them to see if they can actually happen in real life. And if they don't, things get blown up for no reason," Casey explained, shifting and giving Bennett an assessing glance. She looked bleary eyed and miserable. It had been worrying Casey that nothing she tried was helping her friend's headaches. And the rather unexpected evidence that Bennett had decided to start drinking was also concerning. Casey asked, "What's up with the day drinking, Bennett?"

Bennett raised an eyebrow and said, "You're drinking."

"Yeah. Well…"

"You think I've never had a beer before?"

Casey hadn't really given it much thought. She shrugged, "I guess not."

"I was fifteen when my dad made a deal to send me to hell." Bennett muttered, shifting so she was sitting up a bit more. "I wasn't five, Casey."

"Meaning?"

"I've had more than a couple of beers before. A lot more."

Casey nodded slowly, sensing that the typically bubbly girl wasn't feeling so bubbly this afternoon. It was extremely rare for her to be so snippy. So Casey tried to ease into the conversation, "Ok. I get it. This isn't your first time. But you haven't had anything for the entire time I've known you. Granted, we haven't known each other very long, but I can't help but wonder why all of a sudden you're downing two beers in an hour."

"It was more than two." Bennett admitted, staring at the TV. "I just wanted to see if it would help."

"Help what?" Casey asked, eyes narrowing when Bennett didn't answer, just stared into space. Giving her a gentle shake, Casey prompted, "Bennett? What's wrong?"

"It's…" Bennett didn't get to finish her a moan, she grabbed her head and doubled over in pain.

"What's wrong?" Casey asked, putting her hand on Bennett's shoulder. She had hoped that things would be better, be safer in the bunker. Shouldn't she be protected from this? "Bennett?"

"Demon," Bennett whispered, jumping off the couch and hurrying to the far side of the room; as far from the door as she could get.

No sooner than she had gotten the word out, Dean came bursting through the front door. Casey's surprised gaze went from Bennett over to Dean and she gasped. He had Ruby's knife in his hand, his gear slung over his shoulder and he looked angry. A man, with a warded burlap sack over his head, was being shoved through the door by Sam. The demon, Casey guessed with no small sense of frustration. Dean had said they were going to deal with the situation, not bring it home for dinner! She caught Dean's eye.

"Some warning would've been nice, Dean!" She shouted, gesturing at Bennett.

"Sorry. Little busy." Dean shot back at her, a brief twist of guilt in his eyes, quickly replaced with focus.

"Dean we need to take care of this. Now," Sam snapped and continued to shove the demon towards the dungeon.

"Dean!" Casey yelled, wanting to chase after them, but deciding instead that she should probably go find Bennett. "What is going on!"

"Is that her?" The demon spoke up from under his blindfold. "Is that her? Can she come out and play?"

"Shut up!" Sam smacked the demon in the back of the head shoved him further down the hall.

"Casey, not now." Dean called over his shoulder, "I need to go take care of something."

"Dean…" Casey started again, chills running down her spine at what the demon had said.

"Seriously, Echo. Not now." He walked down the hall quickly to catch up with Sam, leaving a furious Casey behind.

Anger and curiosity burning in her gut, she turned away and ran down the other hallway. It took her a minute to find Bennett in the kitchen, fumbling for another beer. Taking a breath to calm herself, she stepped forward, grabbed the beer out of Bennett's hand and asked, "Hey, how you doing?"

Bennett shivered, relinquishing the beer without a fight as she sat down heavily in a chair and whispered, "Why...why is it here?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." Casey said firmly. _What were they thinking, bringing that thing here without giving us the heads up?_ She handed Bennett a bottle of water and replaced the beer in the fridge. "You stay right here. No matter what, ok? I don't want you using your powers on this thing. You sit tight and I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Ok." Bennett nodded, eyes bright with fear. She asked, "What are you going to do?"

Casey rolled her shoulders and said, "I'm gonna go tear my boyfriend a new one."

* * *

Casey still wasn't exactly sure where the dungeon was without Dean to guide her. But she was able to follow the screams well enough to find it with no trouble. She waited outside the bookshelf doors, peering through a crack, and listened to what the demon was saying.

"Why do you want her?" Dean asked again, his voice eerily calm.

 _Her? Who was the demon after?_ she silently asked herself, her concern growing as she watched Dean and Sam circle the demon.

"She's a prize," the demon replied, sounding breathless. "She's the angel's blood and Abbadon wants the complete collection."

With a chill that went straight to her heart, Casey realized the demon was talking about her. She opened the door to the dungeon and marched straight up to the demon. Ignoring Dean's protest, she demanded, "What is going on here?"

"Look who has come to play," the demon purred, tarry eyes shining and evil.

"Casey you need to leave. Now," Dean said, voice tight. Despite his obvious tension, he had a surprisingly gentle hand on her arm.

"Don't tell me what to do. This is about me, isn't it? I have a right to know," she challenged, shaking his hand away and looking up at him defiantly. She wasn't used to having anyone question her or boss her around. Dean looked hurt at her outburst, but she felt too irritated to worry about whether she'd hurt his feelings.

"Casey…"

"Back off Dean!" She shot him a glare and saw Dean's surprise. She knew he could see the unearthly grey set to her eyes. The power that had slowly been coming back seemed to flood through her system as she turned to ask Sam, "Do you have that demon blade of yours?"

"Yeah. Here," Sam answered handing her the blade. He knew better than to ask what she was going to do. He had seen her do this before. He didn't like thinking about it and knew Dean wasn't going to like what he was about to see. Sam grabbed Dean's arm and, ignoring the mild protest, tugged his brother back a few feet to give Casey space.

Casey twirled the knife in her hands as she circled the demon. She said, "Now, you have two options here. Option one, you can answer my questions and I will let you die. Option two, you can fight my questions, endure quite a lot of pain, and then answer my questions anyway. Then I will turn you over to Crowley and let him deal with you. Your choice."

"Like he could do anything." The demon laughed, "I'm not going to answer your questions, sweetcheeks."

"We'll see," Casey smiled as she began to slowly push the blade into the demon's shoulder. The demon screamed and tried to move but he was chained to the chair and wasn't getting anywhere. She asked calmly, "Why were you after me?"

"Bite me!" the demon spat again, but the sneer was absent, replaced by a grimace of pain.

"Um no." Casey wrinkled her nose in distaste as she pulled the blade out of the demon's shoulder and brought it down into his left thigh. "Why were you after me?" she asked again, leaning into the knife.

"Abbadon wants you," the demon screamed, twisting and squirming in pain.

"Good." Casey nodded, "See that's an answer I can work with. What does that cranky ginger want with me?"

"They'll kill me if I tell you."

"I'll kill you either way; how you die is entirely up to you though," Casey said sweetly, patting his cheek.

"No," the demon decided, after a moment of consideration.

"Wrong answer," Casey rolled her eyes and pulled the knife down the demon's thigh, creating a large gash that went down to the bone.

"Casey!" Dean's voice broke through the screams of the demon. "What are you…"

She spun and raised a hand to quiet him. She felt the heat of her power pulsing through her body as she said, "Back off, Dean. I'm handling this."

"I can see that." He replied, voice surprisingly calm. Trying to placate her.

"I've done this sort of thing before, you know." She said, trying to make him understand. "Just...please, let me handle this."

Dean didn't like it. Not at all, but he nodded slowly and backed up.

Casey let the knife twist just a little as she looked at the demon.

The demon screamed, "She wants to destroy you...all of you."

"Does she now?" Casey asked, feeling burning anger. There was a ringing in her ears and she knew she needed to calm down. The stress of this situation, of trying to adapt to Dean questioning her every move, of just having recovered from being a meatsuit for a monster all was contributing to her near incandescent fury.

"Yes yes! Please, stop, stop I don't know anything else..." the demon said, writhing and sweating in agony. Blood was pooling on the floor beneath him and his eyes were drifting closed.

Casey felt a hand on her arm and she was pulled from the room before she even realized what was happening. Starting to speak, she looked up at Dean for an explanation, but it was Sam who had dragged her out of the room. He pulled the blade out of her hand as Dean brushed past them; shoulders tight and expression unreadable. Casey was almost too shocked to speak as she watched Dean go and saw Sam close the door to the dungeon.

"What was that for?" She sputtered at Sam.

He looked a whole lot calmer than she expected. He said quietly, "You need to step back, Casey. You're out of control."

"I'm in perfect control. This isn't the first time..."

Sam shook his head, "No. It's not. But when we were at the museum, you were calm. You _were_ in control then. Now, though... now you're angry and you're going to kill that demon before we get the answers we need."

Fixing her most intimidating glare on him Casey said, "I will get us the answers…"

"You will. But right now, you're going to walk away." Sam said and his complete calm was just as intimidating as her glare and her words. He stood there like a rock and waited.

Casey took a deep breath and spun on her heel and left.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Hope you're enjoying! We totally started this story waaay back when Abbadon was still a threat lol. So the story is a bit behind haha. oh well, we just wanted to get it posted since we'd written it lol. it's in it's own little "AU" corner of the SPN world now. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Forty-five seconds after Casey had disappeared to chase down the boys, Bennett was halfway to the staircase leading to the door. She needed to get outside. Now that a demon was in their basement, she couldn't stand to be in the bunker. Despite Casey's order to stay put, she headed for the stairs and ran up them two at a time. It was stupid, she chided herself, to be this afraid now. After she'd been shredding demons not that long ago. But that was when she hadn't had much choice. When they'd been desperate. Now that she'd had time to think about it for awhile, it seemed a lot scarier than it had before.

Bennett shoved the heavy door aside and sucked in a deep breath of fresh air. The bunker felt stifling and confining and an awful lot like a tomb. She pressed a hand to her eyes against the blinding brightness of the sunshine. She hadn't taken more than two steps from the bunker before she felt exposed and completely vulnerable. The bunker was a tomb, but it felt a lot safer than it felt standing all by herself outside. But she needed to get away from the demon and its thoughts. Now that it was this close, she could hear everything it was thinking and she wished Crowley had never shown her that aspect of her power.

Pushing the door half-closed behind her, Bennett stumbled away; she had no idea where she was going. Just _away_. The sunlight wasn't helping her headache and even closing the heavy bunker door hadn't done anything to shut up the voice in her head. Her hands shook as they fumbled in her pockets. She dropped the lighter twice before she finally got the cigarette lit. She needed a smoke like she'd rarely needed anything in her life. Climbing the stairs, Bennett saw the Impala and made a sharp left. No smoking near the car. She'd learned that lesson.

So she just walked. Every step took her farther from the demon, but not farther from its voice.

"Why?" Bennett asked aloud. It wasn't bad enough that she'd been to hell and back, that she could sense demons, that she had freaky scary monster powers? Why did she have to be able to _hear_ their thoughts?

 _This one is going to die so pretty. She might be an angel but I'm going to cut her up..._

Bennett shook her head, trying to block the demons thoughts out of her mind.

 _They think this is scaring me?_ The demon's voice was clear in her head. _Ha. I've had tougher job interviews…_

The demon was in pain, but was laughing about it and she didn't want to know, didn't want to hear it. Bennett blew out a cloud of smoke and leaned against a tree. Pulling out all the stops, she focused all her energy on painting a picture.

Blue lake. Cloudless Sky. Peace and quiet.

She didn't even notice the blood.

* * *

 _MOL bunker_

Casey had stalked straight to the shooting range, but hadn't yet bothered to even pick up a gun. She needed to get her emotions back in check. Needed to rein it in. Her hands were still fisted at her sides, her entire body was shaking and she could feel the tension, the anger coursing through her system. Sam had been completely right. Something she didn't want to admit, even to herself. But it was the truth. She had been out of control. She had gone into a situation without knowing what was going on and she'd lost it.

"What is wrong with you?" She said aloud, punching a fist into the wall.

The sharp pain seemed to break her. Not her hand, not skin, but _her_. The pain broke her mind free from the anger and everything else escaped from behind it. Her breath rushed out of her as if she'd been punched. Leaning against the wall, she let herself slide to the floor because her knees were just not going to hold her up any longer. Tears suddenly burned her eyes and she tried to fight back the sobs. Once she'd let go of some of the anger, though, the emotions that she couldn't seem to hold in check anymore flooded her. Casey lowered her face to her hands and sobbed uncontrollably. Her back hit the cold cement wall with each sob, but she didn't care.

Trying to rein in the tears, Casey lifted her head and rubbed a hand over her face. She should never have gone into that room. Dean had told her to stay out of it. It just made her bristle, made her absolutely furious that...that he was bossing her around. That was the bottom line. He had told her no, and like a three year old, she had pitched a fit and walked into something she shouldn't have. She'd been a hunter long enough to know that you just didn't jump in the middle of something like that. It never turned out well.

"Why won't he talk to me?" Casey whispered in a broken voice, still angry, but more distraught. Her shoulders shook again.

Did he not trust her? Did he think she couldn't handle it? No. She knew better. She knew he just wanted to protect her. But it was frustrating that he seemed to think the only way to make it happen was to act like some kind of chauvinistic knight in shining armor. Shining armor she wasn't opposed to, but the whole _I am the man and you are my woman_ thing was a bit tough to take.

She knew she needed to talk to him. Needed to tell him her true feelings so they could lay this to rest. Casey scrubbed a hand over her face and whispered, "I don't want to fight with him."

But for now, for right now, she needed to stay put. She needed to breathe and get back a little perspective. If she went near Dean right now, she would probably regret it.

"Because I would very likely shoot him…"

* * *

Dean went straight for the kitchen. And not for a beer, but for the bottle of Jack. Heaven help him, he was in love with the most infuriating woman on the planet. All he wanted to do was protect her. Keep her safe. Make her happy. But apparently those things were in complete opposition one to the other. Making her happy apparently meant letting her go into dangerous situations while keeping her safe seemed to be doing nothing but making her unhappy.

"This wasn't so difficult in purgatory." Dean mumbled, shaking his head and staring up at the ceiling. He slammed the cabinet door and took the bottle with him. He needed some air and he needed not to be anywhere near Casey Economou for awhile. He sincerely hoped she wasn't going to come looking for him. Because their conversation would most likely not be their most constructive.

"Destructive, more like it." He muttered, taking a drink and heading for the stairs.

Reaching the top of the stairs, he was surprised to find the front door was unlocked and half opened. That wasn't a good thing. Bottle of Jack in one hand, he fingered his Taurus and pushed the door open cautiously. Nothing. Everything looked clear. For a moment, he wondered if Casey had gone outside, but there was no way she had gotten by him. Pushing the door closed behind him, Dean realized there was one other person who might have done it.

"Bennett?" He called out, glancing around the area. No sign of anyone. _Huh_. Maybe Sam hadn't closed it when they'd come back with the demon. Taking another swig from the bottle, Dean marched over to the Impala.

He yanked the front door open and got behind the wheel. Not that he was going anywhere. He just needed to sit and think.

"And drink." Dean mumbled, taking another sip. He closed his eyes and let his head rest on the back of the seat.

* * *

Sam stood alone in the hallway outside the dungeon.

For a long time.

It was quiet. It was peaceful and, for the moment, he wanted to pretend that was the way life was. Quiet and peaceful. For a few minutes he wanted to forget that he had a demon locked up on the other side of the door. Forget that Dean and Casey were at each other's throats and he didn't know how to help either of them. Forget that Bennett seemed to be falling apart. Pretend that there was no such thing as monsters. He closed his eyes and tried to remember how it had felt as a kid to not know that evil things were real; to remember life before that Christmas when Dean had told him the truth.

Whether it was the sterile and unnatural coolness of the basement hallway, the fact the he held a bloodstained knife in his hand, or the fact that he'd gone through so much since that Christmas, but Sam found he couldn't even begin to remember what it had felt like _not_ to know. He shook his head and sighed. The moment was over. Looking down the hallway, he knew he needed to get back to reality. Needed to check on everyone else. Because, despite everything, they had a job to do.

The only question was, who did he want to try to tackle first?

He shook his head as he considered his options. Dean would probably not shoot him, (probably), but as furious as he had been, Sam was feeling a bit cowardly. Of course, going after Casey might be its own special brand of hell, he realized. Shaking his head, he wished he could simply roshambo his way to a decision; but there was nobody to throw scissors.

Part of him was tempted to say screw it and leave Dean and Casey to themselves, find Bennett and take her out for dinner. Just to get away from the tension that he could practically feel vibrating through the walls of the bunker. But given the fact that the latest tension was directly related to a demon they had tied up in the dungeon, he knew he couldn't just leave that behind. Sighing, he shook his head and returned to his options.

Dean.

Or Casey.

Sam decided he was going to take his chances with Casey. She'd gone to the shooting range, but he had a feeling Dean had headed for the whiskey. Shaking his head, Sam pushed off from the wall and headed toward the shooting range. He was surprised when he arrived and didn't hear any shooting going on. It was a bit disconcerting, actually.

"Casey?" He called out well before reaching the doorway. Just in case she was going to start shooting. At him.

"Sam?"

Breathing a little easier at the sound of her very calm voice, Sam poked his head into the room. Casey was sitting against the wall, knees drawn up under her chin. Her eyes were reddened and puffy, cheeks bright with drying tears as she sniffed and looked up at him. She looked awful and he almost wished she had been shooting holes in the wall rather than crying.

"Hey, Casey." He said softly, easing down next to her.

"Hey."

Sam asked, "How are you doing?"  
She wiped her hands across her face and took a shaky breath, "I'm...well, I'm not great. I'm sorry about earlier."

"It's ok…"

"No, it's not. You were completely right. I _was_ out of control." Her voice broke and she lowered her eyes. "And Dean was right too. I should have kept my nose out of it."

Sam said, "Dean was just trying to…."

"Protect me."

"Yeah."

"He does that a lot." Casey's smile was brief. "Kinda irritating."

Sam laughed, "Try being the little brother."

"I bet." Casey gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. She was silent for a moment, then whispered, "I just...I don't know how to deal with him being so overwhelming… you know?"

"I do." Sam nodded, glancing across the room. He thought about the trip back with the demon. The things the monster had said. Casey was involved now, though. There really wasn't a reason not to tell her. So he said, "Look, Casey...that demon. He...the things he said on the way here. It got to Dean. Big time."

Casey tilted her head, "What do you mean?"

"He was taunting us, needling Dean about you." Sam shook his head, "And this wasn't just, you know, pass the time demon chatter. This was threats. Really twisted, dark threats. Dean hadn't wanted you to know about...the demons because he's worried about you. But after what that thing said on the way here...I think he just lost it."

She nodded slowly, considering his words. Finally, she asked, "You said demons. Plural."

"Yeah."

"How?"

"Bennett sensed them yesterday."

"What?" Casey's eyes widened, "She...she never said anything…"

"To you." Sam smiled briefly. "She told me. She was really scared because she knew there were a lot of them around. I think she's still freaked out after what happened in Chicago. You know? She thought you were dead in that warehouse."

Casey blew out a slow breath. "A girl gets knocked on her butt once and she never lives it down."

Sam smiled, "It was a pretty spectacular beat down, Casey."

"I know. Ok. I get it." She nodded. "I get it. I scared you all. I'm sorry. It's just...I, I'm not used to having so many people get so freaked out about me. It's taking some getting used to."

"I know. This is a bit new to all of us."

Casey sighed, "I need to give Dean a break." She smiled, then shook her head, "But Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I need a few more minutes. If I go near him now…" She rolled her eyes, "I think the break I give him will be in a bone."

* * *

Dean had a nice gentle alcohol buzz going on when the passenger side door opened with its familiar creaking noise. Startled, he opened his eyes and sat up straighter in the seat. He looked over as Bennett got in the car and pulled the door closed behind her. She reeked of cigarette smoke and he was about to tell her in no uncertain terms that she needed to be out of his car when he took a good look at her and his priorities shifted from the upholstery to the girl sitting next to him.

"Bennett? What happened?" Dean asked, frowning and turning so he could see her better.

The dark circles under her eyes and the blood she'd mostly wiped off provided the only color to her face. Her hair was windblown and in her eyes; he saw blood splattered down her shirt and on her sleeve. She looked at him, then wordlessly grabbed the bottle of whiskey from the seat and took a swig. Watching in shock at first, Dean took the bottle away from her when it didn't look like she was going to stop until she'd drained it. Bennett glared at him when he took the bottle.

Dean grabbed her arm and held it up in front of her, indicating the blood. He asked again, "What happened?"

"Nothing."

"That's not what it looks like to me." Dean said, not liking how pale she looked or how much blood was on her shirt. She squeezed her eyes shut, opening them with difficulty and looking a bit too close to throwing up or passing out for his liking.

"You puke up that good whiskey and I'm making you clean it out of the carpet." He said and pushed her head down toward her knees. "You gotta stop this, you know that?"

"Stop what?" She kept her head down, but looked up at him blearily.

"Bleeding out all over the place. You gotta stop it or we're gonna need a fridge devoted to O negative."

Bennett raised an eyebrow, "You know my blood type? That's creepy. I don't even know it."

"O neg is the universal blood type." Dean said, "We've been around that block so many times we have address labels." He glanced around outside the car, searching for any threats. Nothing he could see. Still holding her head down, he said, "You have fifty-nine point two seconds to tell me why you were out here by yourself, smoking, don't think I can't smell it on you, and donating your blood to the driveway."

Bennett whispered, "The demon. I can hear everything it's thinking."

 _Well, that certainly explains a lot,_ Dean thought, blowing out a slow breath and considering all the implications of her admission. On one hand, what a very convenient skill to have. Interrogations would be a whole lot easier. But, staring at her shell-shocked and exhausted face, he knew it wasn't anywhere near as awesome in real life as it might be in theory. He could understand why she'd been smoking and drinking.

He said with understanding, "Not exactly happy thoughts."

"More like perverse daydreams of torture and murder." Bennett rubbed her forehead and pushed herself upright. Leaning against the seat, she looked up at him and said, "It's like I'm back there…reliving all of it. And now...hearing what it's thinking, saying..."

"Did it just start today?" He asked, cursing himself again for bringing that demon back to the bunker. "I'm sorry, Bennett. I shouldn't have…"

"It's ok." Bennett forced a quick smile. "No, it started when Crowley was helping me figure out my powers." She took a shaky breath, "It got really bad when you came back with that demon because he was so close I think. I've been trying to ignore it, paint a picture, just block it all out."

"And?"

"And my head almost exploded." Bennett sighed, motioning to her shirt. "I came up here to try to get away. I started painting a picture…and then my nose started bleeding. I think it was just too much all at once."

Dean nodded and asked, "Are you still doing it? Painting a picture and blocking it out?"

"No." She grimaced, "It hurt too much. I was coming back inside when I saw you in the car."

"So you're hearing it right now?"

Bennett shook her head and said, "It's unconscious. And it's quiet right now."

The way she said it made Dean realize it hadn't been quiet in her head for a long time. He asked, "I thought you were doing better controlling these powers. You were doing better."  
"I don't know why. I'm not as focused. I was more focused before, when we were going to be killed if I wasn't. Now," she shivered and reached for the bottle. Her hand extended, she waited expectantly and said, "I don't want to hear demons all the time."

Dean hesitated for a second, then handed her the bottle. He asked, "How are you not passed out? That's the good stuff."

Bennett took a drink and smiled, "Not my first bender, Dean."

"You've been out of hell what? A few weeks? When did you have time…" He paused, watching as she raised an eyebrow. Dean frowned and said, "You were a kid…"

"I was fifteen. You didn't start drinking till you were legal?" Bennett grinned as he tried to think about that. Her smile faded and she shrugged, "It's sweet how you guys all think I was this nice kid. I really wasn't. Maybe my parents despised me for a good reason."

Dean studied her for a moment, absolutely hating the despair and resignation in her eyes, and said, "You _are_ a nice kid and your parents sound just lovely. Like lovely enough to have deserved everything they got."

He saw the doubt in her eyes and found himself suddenly and deeply grateful that, no matter how messed up his childhood had been, he'd known his parents loved him. He said, "Look, we all have a past, Bennett. We all have things we wish we could change, could forget. Trick is to leave it in the past and make your life your own. You can't erase it, and maybe you can't forget it either. But that doesn't mean you have to be that person."

Bennett took a deep breath and nodded. She smiled and said, "I'm really getting sick of all of this."

"I bet." Dean brushed the hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Hand gentle on the back of her head, he said, "Take it from Batman, being a superhero isn't always easy."

"Apparently." She rubbed her head again and said, "I think I'm going to go legitimately and completely crazy if I hear demons all the time."

Dean grimaced and sat back in the seat, glancing at the whiskey. He shook his head and said, "Maybe it won't be all the time. Maybe you'll get a handle on it like you did with everything else."

"I hope so." Bennett said. She handed the bottle back to him and added, "I wish it would just go away, though. I'd do anything to get rid of it. I don't want to get a handle on it. I just want to be done with it."

"Sam and I were thinking it might be time to try to get ahold of Crowley. See if he has any idea." Dean said just as his phone started ringing. Glancing at the caller ID, he answered it, "What's up, Sam?"

"Where are you? Have you seen Bennett?" Sam sounded a bit panicked. "We've been looking for her and…"

"She's with me." Dean interrupted, "Demon still passed out?"

"He's in and out. Where are you guys?"

Dean considered that for a second, then asked, "Hey, does Echo still want to kill me?"

"Uh, no, I think you're safe for the moment. But she really wants to kill that demon."

"Me too." Dean said, "Ok, leave him neatly packaged and you guys come meet us up here by the Impala."

"What? Why are you out…"

"Just close the door behind you and get out here. Bring a bottle of water." Dean instructed then hung up before he had to field any more questions.

* * *

 _30 minutes later  
_ _MOL dungeon_

"Oh come on, you can do better than that, you were doing so well," Casey said and plunged the blade into the demon's other thigh. The demon howled in agony.

Dean watched, forcing himself not to intervene. It was not easy. He folded his arms and forced a blank look onto his face, remembering he'd promised Casey that he would let her take the lead on this. Didn't mean he had to like watching her become scary Terminator girl.

"Stop stop!" The demon screamed, practically seizing in the chair. He sobbed, "I'm telling you the truth! I don't know anything else. Abbadon wants you, wants your power, but that's it. Please just let me die you heartless bit-.."

Casey backhanded him and turned to look at Dean. He shook his head. Hadn't heard anything from Sam yet. He stood behind the demon and glanced at his phone again. Still nothing. Casey went back to interrogating the demon and he crossed his fingers Sam was going to text him soon. Interrogating monsters wasn't a problem to him; but watching his girlfriend interrogate a demon was a little uncomfortable.

After Bennett had confessed to being able to hear the demon's thoughts, they'd all had a quick conference. Deciding to use this to their advantage, he and Casey had gone back into the room to interrogate the demon, leaving Bennett just outside the room with Sam. She was listening for the demon's true thoughts while it lied through his teeth to Casey.

The demon screamed again and Dean was thankful that his phone vibrated at that moment. He glanced down, then gave Casey a thumbs up. Sam had just texted him the latest information Bennett had heard from the demon. Stepping forward, Dean said casually, "So. Not that we don't appreciate all your non-helpful information here, but I have a new question for you."

All he got was a furious glare from the bloody demon. Dean said, "How about we talk about Crowley and Castiel."

"What?" Casey asked, looking at Dean in shock.

He gave her a meaningful look, then gave his full attention to the demon. "Where are they?"

The demon's face twisted into a freakish grin. He said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah?" Dean grinned, "Well, I think you do. And I think you better fess up, dirtbag. Or my girl there is gonna end you. Or not. Maybe she'll keep you here so she has something to take her frustration out on on a bad day. Personally, I like that idea. Then she's not going to beat me up."

Casey cracked a quick smile at that and took the phone Dean offered her. She skimmed Sam's message and her eyes flashed grey. Her blade to the demon's throat, she said, "Where is my father?"

The demon, for the first time, looked truly afraid. He mumbled, "How..how do you...how do you know about…"

"Never mind how. Answer her." Dean cut him off.

"No...no I can't…" The demon screamed as Casey slid the blade down across his chest.

Dean gritted his teeth and glanced back at his phone. Demon boy might not want to talk, but he wasn't so good at guarding his thoughts. They had the location. He couldn't help but enjoy the fact that they had a demon mind reader on the team now. This was gonna come in handy. Once again he gave Casey a thumbs up.

"I swear, I swear, I've told you everything I know…" the demon wailed, blood splattering from its mouth as it spoke.

"I believe you," Casey took the blade from the demon's shoulder and thrust it through his heart. His eyes and mouth flashed orange and gold and then it was over. Casey lowered the blade, took a deep breath, and glanced over at Dean. She asked, "Where are my father and Crowley?"

"Wisconsin apparently." Dean shook his head and asked, "Do you wanna tell me what that was?"

"That?" Casey glared at him, heart still pounding after what she'd just done. She said, "That was me doing my job. That was me getting the answers we needed. I told you I can handle myself, Dean. That demon was after _me_. You should have told me that right away instead of playing the big hero and trying to keep me in the dark."

"I wasn't…"

"You were." She cut him off, frustration bleeding into her voice. "Look, you have to trust me, involve me. You can't just shut me out, Dean."

"I didn't think you needed to know," He tried to keep his voice even. _Why couldn't she understand?_ He tried to explain, to make her understand, "at least until we had a better idea of what was going on. It could have been nothing. Like I said, Sam and I were handling it."

"Let me make one thing very clear, Dean." Casey said, her voice low and tense, "You do not get to decide what I do and do not need to know. Especially when demons are after me. It is my life. I can protect myself. I always have. So you either support that, support me, or we need to reevaluate what exactly it is we are doing here."

"This isn't purgatory Echo. This is real. If you died here…" His breath caught in his throat as he stared at her. He touched her arm, "If I lost you again…"

"I know this isn't purgatory. And I know you're just trying to protect me. But I can't live like this." Casey said, feeling like the room was closing in around her. She'd been on her own long enough that having someone constantly checking up on her, caring about her like this was almost suffocating. She went on, "Hunting is what I do. It's in my blood as much as it is in yours."

"I know but…" Dean started again.

"No. No _buts_ Dean. You can't stop me from hunting." Casey ripped her arm from Dean's grasp and spun on her heel. "And you better stop trying to control me. Period. End of story."

"Or what Casey?" Dean snapped, losing control of his own temper and emotions. "You'll break up with me? Go ahead. The people I try to keep safe leave me eventually, so why not cut my losses now? Make it easier on both of us and hey, you might even live longer."

"Is that what you want?" Casey asked softly, trying to keep the angry tears at bay. "Is this, is _us_ , too much for you? You can't hunt and love somebody at the same time?"

"If I can't keep you safe, then what's the point?" Dean asked. He hated it, but he knew the desperation he felt was showing despite his best efforts to maintain the stoic front.

"If that's how you really feel then…" Casey paused, her heart aching at both his obvious insecurity and the loss she was feeling. "Then I guess there really isn't anything else left to say."

"I guess not," Dean said, voice strained.

Casey nodded and said, "We find my dad and Crowley and then I'll be gone."

Dean just turned and walked away without another word.

* * *

 **Aww...things aren't going very well so far, are they?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the delay folks! The last couple weeks have been INSANE! Hopefully I will be more regular with posting now! This story is 100% complete so never fear! :) Hope you enjoy chapter 5!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FIVE**

 _Tuesday_ _afternoon_

 _Waubesaukee Mall_

 _Wisconsin_

"Remind me to stop at Radio Shack before we leave." Dean said softly, staring at the mall. He shook his head at the ludicrous situation. "Seriously? _This_ is where the big bad monsters have Cas and Crowley locked up? The mall?"

Bennett narrowed her eyes and shot him a look, "Unless I was wrong and it's just a bunch of demons shopping for deals on socks and underwear at the same time."

A little knot of the tension that had steadily been building since his argument with Casey worked itself loose and Dean grinned. He elbowed Bennett and said, "I like you. You know that? You remind me of me."

"Is that a good thing?" Bennett tilted her head, amusement brightening her eyes.

"Depends on who you ask." Dean winked as he pulled her to her feet and asked, "The demons have been moving them around to keep them hidden?"

Bennett nodded, "And they have this mall under quarantine for some kind of a gas leak or something to keep people away."

"I was wondering how they were managing to do their evil deeds without hordes of angry shoppers coming at them armed with coupons in the middle of the day. Usually evil deeds are done at night. Feels weird to be out here in the middle of the afternoon." Dean said, taking one last look at the mall. He shook his head, "Kind of creepy, actually. Ok, let's go round up the rest of the troops."

They headed back down the hill toward the Impala where Sam and Casey were prepping their gear. Sam looked up as they approached and asked, "This the place?"

Dean exchanged a smile with Bennett, "Yeah. And there's a sale on underwear."

"What?" Sam gave him an incredulous look.

Bennett just laughed and hopped onto the trunk of the Impala where Casey had finished loading their shotguns. Dean noted that she had turned her back to him as soon as he had walked up. They'd spoken less than a dozen words since their argument after the interrogation the evening before.

Fighting the disappointment and hurt that still burned in his gut, he said, "Looks like we've got five demons."

"Three on the perimeter," Bennett added, "And two in the halls."

Casey nodded, handing Sam a shotgun. She still wasn't looking at Dean, but said, "OK. That's doable. Did you get a read on Crowley? Any sign of him or my dad?"

Dean rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, Bennett, tell them about Crowley and Cas."

"Um." Bennett chewed her lip, fighting back a smile.

"What?" Casey frowned, finally turning around enough that Dean could see her face. She shot him a quick glance, then focused on Bennett. "Are they ok?"

"They're fine, Casey. Promise." Bennett said quickly. "I mean, they got beat up and they're trapped; devil's trap and holy oil. But they're safe enough."  
Sam poked her in the shoulder, "So what is it?"

Bennett rolled her eyes, "They're...well, I think they've gone crazy. Like completely nuts."

"What are you talking about?" Casey pressed, "What's going on?"

"They're playing _I Never_." Bennett said, then burst out laughing.

Dean watched with relief as an amused smile lit Casey's face. She raised an eyebrow and Dean said, "Apparently your father has never..."

Casey shook her head and covered her ears, "Stop right there. I do _not_ want to know what my father has and has not done! Ew. Just ew."

"They're bored." Bennett smiled, "Crowley's winning because, well, he has a lot more life experience than your dad does apparently."

"You have got to be joking." Casey closed her eyes and prayed for patience. Because, heaven help her, rescue or not, she was ready to throttle her father and her uncle. She stared at Bennett, waiting to see if this was a joke. But Bennett just shook her head, eyes wide with amusement.

"Ok. We're going to divide up." Dean said, interrupting her thoughts. "We need to take out the perimeter guards. I'll stick with Casey," he watched as her shoulders stiffened and she turned away from him again, "and we'll head in the west entrance while you two meet up at the east door and come in that way. Kill the other demons as we find them, and then we all go break Abbott and Costello out of prison."

Sam raised an eyebrow, "That sounds so...so very organized."

"Years of practice." Dean quirked a grin and nodded to the deserted looking building. "Let's go gank some demons."

Casey finally looked at him for more than a half a second and nodded. Her expression blank, she said, "Let's go."

Sam pulled out Ruby's blade as Dean and Casey headed off. He asked Bennett, "You good to do this?" She nodded quickly and smiled, but he grabbed her hand before she could move. He said, "Not that I don't believe you, but I don't believe you."

Bennett's smile faded and she took a deep breath. She said, "I'd rather be doing just about anything except this, but I'm ok."

"You had a panic attack at the grocery store," Sam said gently, "and now we're about to fight demons."

"I know." Bennett nodded, her hand tightening around his fingers, "I was trying not to...not to use the power. Ever since we got to the bunker, I was backing off; trying not to paint pictures all the time, see if I could handle it. And I freaked out." She smiled, "But I'm back to my old tricks, so you don't have to worry about me."

Sam shook his head and said, "That doesn't exactly make me not worry about you."

"I'm ready, Sam. Promise. I can handle it." Her eyes took on a faraway look for a moment, then she said, "I can hear them. They have no idea we're here. They're all just sitting in there thinking that they have the suckiest jobs in the universe."

"They kind of do."

"True." She hopped off the trunk and said, "They're not expecting us at all."

"Best news I've heard all day." Sam said, hoping their good fortune would last.

"I'm more worried about them." Bennett said nodding toward Dean and Casey. "They...I mean, they're just so...Are they going to be ok?"

Sam blew out a slow breath. Casey and Dean were visible, heading toward the entrance. They weren't walking particularly close to each other and there was nothing except concentration and professionalism in their movements. Sam said, "I don't know. They're having a hard time adjusting to everything."

"I wish I knew what was wrong...how to help them." Bennett whispered. She stared at the ground. "My parents yelled like that and...well, you know what happened to them."

Realizing that all she had for a reference point on relationships was her parent's epically dysfunctional marriage, Sam touched her chin and tilted her face up. He smiled and said, "Hey. Wanna know something about relationships?"

"What?"

"They take work. And sometimes they take a lot of yelling. It doesn't mean that they're falling apart." He thought about what they'd heard Casey and Dean say last night. He said, "Just because they say they're through with each other, it doesn't mean they really are. Ok?"

Bennett nodded, but looked far from convinced.

Sam said, "They're just trying to get used to each other and get used to _being_ together. They love each other. They're both stubborn and independent and Dean has an overprotective streak about a football field wide. They just need time. Ok?"

"Ok." She nodded and looked a little bit reassured.

They skirted a set of dumpsters and Sam could just make out the first demon. Hovering in the shadows near the front door of the mall, the demon was possessing a guard. No one would have suspected anything if they happened to come by the mall. Sam paused beside a low cement wall on the outskirts of the parking lot. There was a lot of open ground to cover before he could get close enough to the demon to kill it. He glanced back at the demon and was surprised when he saw the demon suddenly begin to twist in agony. It fell to the ground, then exploded into smoky shards that quickly dissipated into the cool air. Sam turned to look at Bennett.

She shrugged in apology, "Sorry. Just seemed like a waste of time to wait till we got there to kill it. You can have the next one. Promise."

Sam smiled, "Yeah, don't put me out of a job."

They made their way toward the east entrance and Sam easily dispatched the second demon. Assuming that Dean and Casey had easily taken care of the other demon outside, Sam worked on unlocking the mall door. Pulling out his flashlight, he led the way inside. Everything was silent. The mall was dark and deserted. Sam couldn't remember the last time he'd been to a mall; even an open mall. Frowning, he honestly couldn't remember if he'd _ever_ been to a mall in his entire life.

"There's one down the service corridor." Bennett whispered, hand on his arm. "Down this way."

"The other one?"

"Talking to Crowley." Bennett narrowed her eyes in concentration, then looked up at Sam in shock, "He's being _really_ rude actually."

Sam snorted and turned to the left and walked through the mall toward the service corridor. He saw the demon as soon as he turned the corner and he ran forward and stabbed it with Ruby's blade before it even saw him. Letting the body fall to the ground, Sam felt a degree of satisfaction. So far this was proving to be the easiest rescue in the history of rescues. And that made him nervous. He turned around and looked for Bennett. She wasn't behind him. Frowning, he went back into the main aisle of the mall and found her staring at a window display.

"Hey. You ok?" He asked, standing next to her and looking at the lingerie on display. He swallowed and turned around, his back to the window and his eyes anywhere but on Bennett as she continued to stare at the rather revealing display.

"You get him?" Bennett asked, but she sounded distracted.

"Mmhm." Sam nodded, eyes on the floor. For a moment, they were silent, then he dared a quick glance at her. She was smiling at him. He cleared his throat and asked, "What?"

"I think I need to go shopping." Bennett continued to smile innocently at him and nodded at the display. "What do you think?"

"Uh...sure. Yeah. I mean..it's not open now so…" Sam felt his heart rate double as she moved closer to him.

Bennett's smile just grew wider. And less innocent. She asked, "Know what else I think?"

Sam shook his head.

"I think you should kiss me." She reached up and grabbed his collar, pulling him down closer to her level.

"You do, huh?" Sam couldn't fight the smile. "You remember we're hunting demons here and trying to rescue…"

"I know. We took care of three of the demons, Sam. Don't we deserve a moment?" Bennett asked, giving him a quick kiss. "Besides, this isn't exactly the first time we've kissed while surrounded by demons."

"You're trouble, you know that?" He asked, wrapping his arms around her.

Heaven help him if Dean caught him...

* * *

"Does this seem too easy to you?"

Dean nodded, "I wasn't going to say it aloud, though."

Casey chewed her lip as she looked around the empty mall. She couldn't even hear a clock ticking. It was very quiet. Which could be good, or could be bad. She asked, "Scared you're gonna jinx us?"

"Little bit, yeah." He grinned back at her, teeth bright in the dim light of the hallway. They'd taken out two demons without breaking a sweat. Looking to the right and left, he asked, "Which way do you think?"

Casey tilted her head and held up a finger. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on listening. Holding her breath, she finally heard it. The arguing. Opening her eyes, she whispered, "I can hear Crowley."

"Ok. Head that way?"

"Yeah. I don't hear the other demon." Casey shrugged, and turned the corner. Tightening her grip on her Angel blade, she stared down the hall and saw an empty store front. Covered in plastic wrap, the glass doors advertised the newest underwear boutique, opening soon. Casey glanced up at Dean and said, "I guess you were right about the underwear."

Dean nodded, "That where they are?"

"I think so." She led the way down the silent hall. Nothing jumped out at them and she didn't sense any malevolent presences in the vicinity. As they drew closer to the store, she saw a glow of light from behind the opaque plastic. And she heard the arguing.

Crowley's voice was hoarse and tight, "No, no, no, you're absolutely wrong. It wasn't 1723, it was 1724."

"You are incorrect."

"You wanna argue about what continent it was on?" Crowley shouted. "Or do you want to concede your point and move on to the next question?"

"I want you to cease talking to me." Castiel said, clearly fed up.

"We tried that, Angel Daddy. Lasted one day before you couldn't hold your peace any longer." There was amusement in Crowley's voice now. "I have to say, Cas, you lasted longer than what I expected."

Casey smiled despite herself. Suddenly, the thought of her father and Crowley being trapped together in one room for over a week made her want to laugh. Neither of them exactly had the right personality to be trapped together for any period of time. If they hadn't been trapped in their respective circles, she figured they probably would have killed each other long ago. She glanced at Dean and saw her amusement mirrored on his face. A little knot of misery loosened in her chest at the sparkle in his eyes. Maybe there was hope for them yet. She heard her father arguing back with Crowley and she rolled her eyes.

This was priceless.

She followed the argument and pushed back the plastic divider aside to find Crowley, head pillowed on his suit coat, lying on his back in the devil's trap while her father stood facing the opposite direction in the circle of flaming holy oil. They were both in their shirtsleeves, ties off and Cas's coat was in a crumpled pile on the ground behind him.

"Never thought I'd see this day." Casey said, hands on her hips. "You two in a room together, not trying to kill each other."

"Casey, love!" Crowley's head came off the ground and he grinned at her, "I knew you were going to get us out. Always such a smart girl..."

"You said you believed she would have moved on with her life by now." Cas turned, expression irritated. He smiled when he looked at Casey, though. "Casey. It is good to see you."

"Good to see you too, Dad." Casey smiled, relieved that he was alright.

Dean stepped closer and couldn't hide his amusement at the sight of Cas and Crowley glaring at one another from their respective circles, "You two ladies ready to get out of here, or do you have more slumber party games you wanna play?"

Cas shot him an aggravated glance; it looked like he was on his last nerve. Crowley eagerly rose, dusting his coat off. He glared at Cas, then said, "Please. Angel Daddy and I have exhausted any and all topics of conversation. And I have things to do."

Castiel shot him a glare, then looked back at Casey, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Dad." Casey nodded, using her powers to extinguish the holy oil from around her father.

"Pestis?" He asked, stepping toward her.

"Destroyed." She smiled, giving him a hug.

"Good riddance." Crowley said, staring expectantly at Dean, then down at the devil's trap. "Little help here, Squirrel?"

Dean rolled his eyes. It always pained him to have to play nice with Crowley. He'd known from the beginning that working with the demon was a bad idea on a good day. Sooner or later, that misguided alliance was going to take a turn for the worst.

He said, "Come on, can't fault a guy for enjoying the moment…"

"Yes, yes, actually I can." Crowley grated, apparently finding _his_ last nerve to be raw. "If you don't mind, it's been a hell of a week."

"I bet." Dean grinned and broke the devil's trap.

Crowley immediately stepped out and said, "Been great. Family reunion and all. I really must be going."

Casey looked at him in surprise, "You're just going to walk away like that? Where are you going?"

"I have a kingdom to get back to. Pestis may be out of the picture, but I need to know what a certain ginger we all love to hate has been up to lately." Crowley said, and then his expression grew solemn as he touched her arm, "Besides that, I need to make sure the demons that were holding us haven't gone tattling to their boss about you, darling. Best keep your forbidden lineage a well-kept secret."

And then he was gone.

Casey frowned. She was only slightly surprised by Crowley's abrupt departure. It did concern her to think that the demon horde might be communicating with Abbadon about her special powers. That could be disastrous.

Cas put his hand on her shoulder and said, "Casey. Crowley is not the only one who has things to attend to." His expression grew troubled, and he tilted his head as if listening. He said, "There is something...something is not right."

Casey saw his angel blade appear in his hand and she tightened her grip on her own. She saw Dean take one distinct step closer to her and she didn't even bristle. Her attention was elsewhere. Focusing. Listening. Just like her father. Because he was correct. Something was very wrong. She felt it. The presence. And not the presence of demons.

"Echo? What is it?" Dean asked, his hand brushing her elbow. Gentle, not hovering, just being there. "Cas?"

Casey looked up at him and said, "It's angels."

Dean's eyebrows shot up, "What? Angels? What.."

"We need to leave now." Cas interrupted, expression pinched with worry.

"Well we can't just go." Dean said, already moving toward the door, "Sam's out there with Bennett."

Cas' expression flickered and he looked even more stressed. He said, "I will go find them; Casey, you and Dean leave now."

"Dad?" Casey asked, concern growing at his worry. "What is it? It's angels…"

"Metatron's angels." Cas said, his voice low. He started to speak again, but Casey interrupted him.

"It's too late." Casey said, looking from her father to Dean. She could see everything that was happening out there in the mall and she knew they weren't going anywhere. Casey said softly, "The angels have them, Dean."

* * *

They'd been heading to the west side of the mall together when the angels had appeared. Everywhere. No warning, as usual. Sam grabbed Bennett's hand and pulled her closer to him when the first angel stepped in front of them, blade brandished.

"We do not wish to harm you." An angel to their left said in a dry monotone.

Sam glanced around the area and counted ten angels. All looking less than friendly. All with their blades in their hands. He tightened his grip on his knife and glanced at the speaker. He said, "No? Why does it look like an ambush?"

"We are here to speak with the others. Remain where you are and no harm will come to you."

"Uh huh." Sam's jaw tightened. He had a feeling that harm was very likely to come to them all. He hadn't seen such a show of force from the angels since...well, he wasn't quite sure when. "What do you want?"

"It doesn't concern you."

Sam snorted, "I'd say it does. It concerns me a lot, actually."

He stepped forward. One step. And found himself with a blade to his neck.

"Sam!" Bennett shouted as she was torn from his grasp by another angel.

Fighting was not an option because he was afraid to swallow as close as the blade was to him. So he held very still and tried to catch sight of Bennett. She was off to the right, held by another angel with his hand around her throat. Her eyes were wide, but she wasn't fighting. Sam could tell she knew better than to struggle given that they were completely outnumbered.

The angel who had been doing the talking moved forward and said, "Be patient and you will be released in due time. We are not here for you. We've come for the half-breed."

* * *

Cas pushed past Casey and said, "You two need to leave now. I'll…"

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen." Dean interrupted Cas just as Casey was about to do the same thing. He joined Cas at the entry of the store and said, "We're going together."

"There are at least...ten angels." Casey said, troubled. She looked at her father, "Why?"

"I don't know." Cas said, stepping out into the hall.

Dean grabbed Cas' arm, pulling him back inside the storefront and asked, "Hey, we wanna work on a plan here? Casey just said ten angels. There are three of us. We aren't walking straight in there…"

"We would prefer that you did." A cold voice spoke from the far end of the corridor.

A light suddenly illuminated the area and Dean shielded his eyes until it reduced from

supernova to very bright for a mall wattage. He saw five angels standing at the far end of the hall. All of them were armed and looked about as ornery as most angels seemed to look.

Cas pulled out of Dean's grasp and took point as he walked out into the hallway. He said, "Who are you and what do you want?"

The angel in the lead, a haze of brightness surrounding him, smoothed his tie and said, "My name does not matter. You will never need utter it nor speak of me again. You need only step aside and let us take what we have come for."

"Which is?" Dean asked, having a deep, dark fear of what it might be.

"We have come for the abomination and her father."

Dean and Cas instantly stepped, as if by perfect practice, shoulder to shoulder in front of Casey. His heart was pounding in his chest and he couldn't have cared less if Casey was shooting daggers at the back of his head. He couldn't _not_ try to protect her. He didn't hear any protest from behind him, though, so he figured she was still in shock.

The angel stepped closer and said, "We will take her and Castiel and leave."

"Oh you can leave, alright, glowstick." Dean said, wishing he had holy oil or an angel blade in his hand instead of a shotgun full of salt. They'd packed for demons, not angelic hosts. "You can take your band of merry men and get the heck out of here because you aren't getting either of them."

"I believe you will find you are mistaken." The angel said, snapping his fingers.

Dean felt the gnawing fear in his gut double when five more angels appeared, two of which had their shiny daggers pressed against his brother and Bennett's throats. Sam shot him an apologetic, but aggravated look. So much for this all going so well, Dean cursed. He wanted to do it again when he heard a voice from behind him.

"Let them go and we can talk." Casey said, voice calm, firm, in control. She pushed forward so she was in between Dean and Cas; passing Dean her angel blade as she moved. He accepted it without hesitation, his movements so practiced that the angels missed it all together. Casey drew their attention to herself as she asked, "What do you want with us?"

The lead angel laughed and said, "Oh, we won't be doing that until you and Castiel have surrendered to us. Then, perhaps we will allow the human collaborators to live."

Cas held up a hand, "Wait. I will come with you…"

"Dad!"

"Just allow the others to…" Cas started, but the other angel cut him off.

"Very well."

"Wait, what?" Dean spoke up, his fingers tightening around the blade he held carefully hidden. He had not expected Cas' negotiation to have success. It was unexpected and concerning.

The angel said, "We accept your terms, Castiel."

Immediately, two of the angels, and Castiel, disappeared.

"Dad!" Casey called out, as she lunged for the nearest angel to her right.

Dean immediately moved forward and ran Casey's blade through the nearest angel. His victory was abbreviated when another angel threw him across the room. He landed in a heap against the wall, groaning and trying to get to his feet and regain his grip on the precious blade. Before he could move anywhere, though, he was shoved against the wall; held immobile and furious. Bennett was fighting the angel holding her and Dean hadn't expected her to have such a well developed vocabulary.

His amusement faded as he continued to fruitlessly fight to escape the angelic powers that held him against the wall. As he struggled, Dean saw Sam break free of the angel holding him. Sam spun around and landed a punch that had the angel stumbling backwards. Another hit and the angel fell backwards onto the ground, but not before he was able to use his power to throw Sam through a storefront window.

As he fruitlessly fought to escape the angelic powers that held him against the wall, Dean saw seven of the angels take a step forward. The spokesman angel said, "I wouldn't even try to fight. With our combined strength, even you," he looked at Casey with a disturbing smile, "you who are an abomination to our kind, are completely powerless."

Casey _was_ fighting, though. She said through clenched teeth, "You are all going to die for this."

The angel laughed, "I think not. Kill the girl."

"No!" Casey screamed as the angel holding Bennett raised his blade.

She still was fighting against the combined angelic powers to escape their hold on her, but she had enough power to send that angel stumbling backwards, giving Bennett opportunity to move away. Before she could make it very far, another angel stepped in front of her and punched her hard enough that she crumpled to the ground without a sound. Casey could barely breathe as she watched Bennett fall and tried to fight against the combined strength of the angels.

The lead angel crouched in front of Dean but stared over at Casey as he said, "If this is the way you want to behave, abomination, I think it's time we take something precious to you."

His hand closed around Dean's throat.

"Stop! Leave...leave us alone!" Casey begged, fighting against their powers without any success. "I'll go with you, just let them go."

"So like your father," The angel said, smiling as Dean choked. "You should never have existed. Your father deserves to pay for his sins and so do these humans who have allowed you to live."

Casey watched as Dean met her eyes. He was speaking volumes without saying a word. _I'm sorry. Don't do this._ It broke her heart, seeing the pain in his eyes and she shook her head even as she tried to communicate wordlessly back to him, _I love you._

Casey watched his eyes widen and she knew he had received her message. She smiled sadly, then closed her eyes.

* * *

Dean had seen it in her eyes. Casey was going to do whatever it took to save him. And he knew he wasn't going to like the cost. She closed her eyes and he wouldn't have been able to breathe even if that angel didn't have a hand around his neck. Dean could feel his head pounding, his heart thudding and the black spots in his vision told him that he didn't have long before he was going to find himself unconscious. Then dead. Blinking past the dark spots, he kept his attention on Casey.

She was fighting against the angels with everything she had. For a moment, he feared the eight remaining angel's combined power was every bit as overpowering as the angel had claimed. Would she have the power? But then, he felt the angel's hand release him and he gasped in a desperate breath as the angel moved back. All of the angels stepped closer to Casey, their faces reflecting their shock. Dean still couldn't move, but at least he could breathe again. He watched an angel step in front of Casey, his blade coming down through the air toward her heart.

"Casey! No!" Dean shouted hoarsely, trying again to get to his feet to help.

Casey's hand came up and grasped the angel's arm. Her eyes opened and they were a fierce steel grey. A smile spread across her face as she stood up, shoving the angel backwards. She still held his arm, and as soon as she was on her feet, she wrenched his arm and stabbed him with his own blade. He flashed out and Casey let him fall. The other angels banded together and raised their hands. Casey stumbled backwards slightly, then rebalanced.

Dean watched in shock as a bright light began to fill the room. Casey looked over at him with her grey eyes and shouted, "Close your eyes!"

Knowing better than to argue, Dean slammed his eyes closed. A second later, he heard a high-pitched sound then felt what seemed to be a massive explosion. He slammed against the wall, then crumpled to the ground, covering his ears with his hands. The noise turned to the sound of a thousand jet engines, and the room was so bright that he felt like he was staring at the sun even with his eyes closed tightly. The ground shook and he could hear windows shattering all around him.

Then it was silent.

For a long moment, Dean couldn't move. Not that he didn't _want_ to move. But he couldn't move. His head was ringing and he felt leaden. Whatever Casey had just done, it had been insanely powerful. His bones ached from the concussive wave of the explosion. So he remained where he was for a minute, just sucking in precious breaths and waiting for his head to stop spinning. As much as it hurt with his eyes closed, he wasn't sure he was looking forward to opening his eyes.

Finally, he couldn't wait any longer. He needed to check on everyone else. Forcing his eyes open, Dean looked up and saw the eight angels still standing there, arms outstretched. Casey was standing too, wavering, face ghost white. She took a deep breath, her grey eyes met his and she smiled, then she was consumed by a blinding white light. The room vibrated and Dean watched in shock as the the eyes of the eight angels burned out and they fell over to the ground in the same moment that the white light around Casey flashed brighter then exploded.

Casey was gone.

* * *

 **Uhoh! :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

Dean couldn't speak. His throat was tight with emotion, fear, disbelief, shock. She was gone. Pushing himself to his feet, he took in the horrific sight before him. The eight angels were lying on the ground, the blackened outlines of their wings crisscrossing the mall; grotesque artwork marring the cheap flooring. Casey wasn't there. Not on the ground. Not in the room. He thought about the explosion. The bright white light. Hand against the wall, Dean almost couldn't keep himself upright. She'd used her power. All of her power. Against eight angels.

And it had killed her.

Hands to his head, tears burned his eyes as he silently called for her. Prayed he was wrong. Hoped against hope that she was alive. But she did not reappear. She did not respond to his pleas. The room was silent. And it nearly killed him. But then his eyes caught sight of Bennett and his heart skipped a beat. Beginning to move toward her, he remembered Sam crashing through a window and he glanced over at the storefront.

"Sam?" He called out even as he stumbled across the room, dodging dead angels as he hurried to Bennett's side.

Kneeling down, Dean shook Bennett's shoulder in an attempt to wake her. Dean called her name, even as he took another quick glance at the store. This time he saw Sam's head poke above an upturned display case.

"Dean?" Sam called out.

"Yeah, you alright?"

"Great." Sam said, and he was moving over the debris of the storefront without looking like he was injured. "What the hell happened?

Dean looked up, hoping against hope to see Casey standing there. But she was gone and he was losing everything again. Everything in hopeless, broken pieces shattered around him like the glass of the storefront Sam was climbing out of. Dean closed his eyes and lowered his heavy head.

"Dean."

His head snapped up so quick he saw stars. Dean stared across the room. His voice gritty and raw, he met Sam's eyes as his brother came closer, kneeling next to Bennett. Sam's expression of worry as he looked at Bennett changed to a deeper concern when he saw what must have been absolute despair in Dean's eyes.

Sam was checking Bennett's pulse, leaving a hand on her shoulder as he looked back at Dean and asked again, "What happened?"

"Casey...she...I don't…" Dean tripped over the words, his heart broken. "She just...killed them."

Before Sam could say anything else, Cas appeared out of nowhere. The angel looked terrible, bloody and pale, but he stumbled across the room without hesitation. Dean and Sam looked up at him in surprise and Dean was about to ask him if he could find Casey when Bennett came awake swearing like a sailor. Dean almost laughed at the shocked expression on Sam's face.

But then Cas collapsed to the floor and it wasn't so amusing any more. Dean leaned over him, feeling a pulse, but found he was unable to rouse the angel. He looked up and found Bennett extricating herself from Sam's embrace and looking around desperately. She turned to Dean and tears welled in her eyes as she asked the question Dean had been dreading.

"Dean? Where's Casey?"

Dean stared at her. He couldn't take it. Couldn't say it. Shaking his head he said, "We need to get Cas out of here. Right now, before anyone starts investigating what's been happening at this mall."

"Dean…" Sam started.

"Not now." Dean cut him off sharply. "Help me get him up."

Sam wordlessly reached down and helped pull Cas to his feet. The angel remained unconscious as they dragged him back toward the exit, Bennett trailing behind them, trying her hardest to cover the sniffles as she cried. Dean gritted his teeth and tried to ignore her. Other than the shuffling of their feet and Bennett's tears, there was no other sound as they walked through the mall. It seemed like three eternities before they reached the Impala. Cas was still unconscious as they settled him in the back seat with his head on Bennett's lap. Dean slammed the front door with more force than was strictly necessary.

He felt Sam's gaze on him as he started the car. For a moment, he didn't put the car in drive, just sat and listened to the comforting thrum of the engine. He didn't know what to do next. There was nothing to do next because he'd lost Casey. But then he heard Bennett whisper Cas' name and he knew this wasn't just about him. So he put the Impala in gear and headed back into town to find the nearest motel where they could put whatever pieces they had left back together.

* * *

- _field, middle of nowhere_

Casey opened her eyes and immediately regretted it. The light make her head hurt so bad that she squeezed her eyes shut again. She just wanted to sleep. Curling up into a tight ball on what felt like damp grass, she tried to close her mind as she had her eyes. No matter how hard she tried, though, she couldn't get the nagging feeling out of her head that something bad had just happened. Sitting up slowly, she kept her head down because if she lifted it, she was sure it was going to fall off and roll away. And she didn't have anywhere near enough energy to even consider chasing it. She could feel something sticky on her face and when she touched her cheek, her hand came away red and sticky. Blood. And a lot of it.

The memory of what happened came flooding back. The mall. The angels. The angels taking her father, hurting the others. Miserably, her thoughts jumbled, making her queasy. _What is going on with my powers? I killed the Plague for heaven's sake! Why did this happen?_ Casey kept going over the details of the battle in her mind as she forced her eyes open again.

She was in a field. A field in the middle of nowhere. A cold, _wet_ field in the middle of nowhere. Instinctively she pulled out her phone to call Dean and saw that not only was it dead, the screen was completely shattered. _Awesome. I have no idea where I am or where Dean is._ And I have no idea how I ended up here. She closed her eyes and tried to focus her senses on Dean. If she could find him, she could zap over to him. But there was nothing. Just dark, cold, nothing. She couldn't use her powers. She couldn't get back to Dean. _What is wrong with me?_

Casey felt the sting of tears behind her eyes when she considered her situation. She felt the panic welling up in her chest as her breath rushed in and out of her lungs in panicked gasps. Casey tried to catch her breath but couldn't find enough air. She began to feel light headed and could still feel power draining out of her. Her heart ached to get back to him but couldn't figure out how.

The tears that had been threatening her finally fell. Casey allowed herself to let it all go. She sobbed for the first time since Dean had broken up with her. She allowed herself to feel the pain. To feel the hopelessness and fear that had surfaced when she watched the angels prepare to kill her family at the mall. She felt everything and nothing.

Casey cried until her head was pounding in time with her heart. Her eyes were puffy and she was sure she looked like the victim in a horror flick. But she had to do something about her predicament. _You are a freaking Nephilim. Get your act together, woman!_ She chided herself and found a small smile playing on her lips.

She sounded like her mother.

Pulling herself up off the cold ground, she again tried to use her abilities. Again she reached out to find Dean, but again she felt nothing. Instead, she focused on her immediate surroundings and heard the bubbling of a creek. _Well it's a start,_ she thought. Casey pushed herself wearily to her feet and started off in the direction of the creek to clean herself up. Thinking ahead, she collected some firewood along the way. She didn't know what she was going to do, but she was Dr. Casey Economou and she was not going to be a victim of her situation.

She would find her way back to Dean, no matter what.

* * *

 _Motel_

Sam watched as his brother helped him ease Cas onto the bed. Dean's expression was blank. Not a thoughtful blank. Not a half-asleep blank. But a blank that made him look like he was completely gone. Empty. Devoid of life; of hope. And Sam supposed he was. Didn't matter how many years it had been, he still remembered how lost he had been for so long after Jessica's death. Empty. Devoid of life; of hope. Just like Dean now.

He began a quick assessment of Cas and looked up as Dean rushed back out of the room without a word. Sam sighed then glanced back at the angel. Cas was breathing and, despite the blood on his face, didn't appear to have any obvious wounds. He was still out cold, though, and that wasn't exactly a good sign. For now, there wasn't much he could do for him. Time to worry about the rest of the team. Sam looked for Bennett.

She was sitting in a corner, knees drawn up and her face buried against her arms. No one had spoken the entire trip to the motel. He'd run into the office to get a couple rooms and then they'd brought Cas inside. Bennett had followed, eyes red and puffy from crying silent tears all the way from the mall. He wasn't surprised that she was so upset. Casey had been a friend that Bennett had desperately needed and her loss was a blow to all of them; more devastating than he had even begun to imagine. Dean's connection and deep loss he understood, but Bennett, and himself? They had only known Casey for about a week or two and even he was fighting back tears at her loss. She had become like a sister to him in the short time he'd known her. He still didn't know what had happened, Dean hadn't spoken at all, but it had been bad. And it saved their lives.

Sam sighed heavily; he knew the fallout from this was going to be bad. _Really bad._ Giving Dean his space for the moment, he turned to Bennett and knelt in front of her. Rubbing her arms, he managed to get her to lift her head. She looked up at him, hair plastered to her tear stained face.

"Hey. You ok?" He asked softly, brushing her hair away from her eyes.

Bennett shook her head. She whispered, "Casey..."

He nodded, "I know."

"Sam, is her dad… Is he ok?"

"I'm not sure. He's breathing and I don't see any wounds. I think he fought hard to get away from those angels, though."

"Why were they...why did they do it?"

Sam squeezed her hand and said, "I don't know."

They both looked up at the sound of an ominous thud coming from outside the room. Bennett said, "Dean's not ok."

"No. He's not." Sam agreed. He watched as Bennett pushed herself to her feet and wiped her face with her sleeve. She started toward the door and he asked, "What are you…"

"He shouldn't be alone, Sam." She said simply and walked outside.

Sam took a deep breath and followed her, not entirely sure that Dean would be receptive to company. Standing in the doorway, he saw his brother leaning against the hood of the Impala, head lowered, his eyes bright with unshed tears. He didn't look up as Bennett walked toward him. Sam was not exactly unaware of Dean's preferred methods of grieving. Denial and liquor in equal doses. _He_ knew better than to go near Dean's feelings, but he found himself unable to stop Bennett from taking her chances. Maybe she could help in ways he never had been able to.

Bennett went straight to Dean and touched his arm. He spun around, clearly planning to lash out, but before he could, she wrapped her arms around him and started to cry again. Dean remained frozen for a moment, then, as if something had broken deep within him, he wrapped his arms around her and lowered his head to her shoulder. Sam felt a sad smile play on his lips. He didn't know what to say or what to do so he just stayed where he was and watched them grieve.

After a minute, Dean pulled away from Bennett and used his thumbs to wipe away some of the tears on her face. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, then turned away. He got into the car and tore out of the motel parking lot. Sam didn't have to guess where he was going. Nearest liquor store or bar. Or both. He wrapped his arms around Bennett as she came back into the room. He couldn't blame Dean.

But he _could_ worry about him.

* * *

 _-by a creek, middle of nowhere_

Casey held her hands close to the fire. She had managed to wash the blood off her face and most of her clothes. She was freezing and wet and lost and alone. And, truth be told, just a little bit afraid. When she'd awakened, she'd felt something she hadn't felt since her father had restored her memories of who, what, she was. She'd felt completely human. No powers, nothing. Just human. It scared her more than she had expected.

She pulled her hands inside of the sleeves of her coat and turned her thoughts inward. She had been feeling her powers returning for the last few hours. It would be a while until she was at full power but she hoped, now that her emotions were in control, she would have enough juice to get back to Dean.

Focusing her thoughts on Dean, she could feel the warmth and safety of his arms and hear his voice telling her he loved her. Casey held onto those feelings and pushed harder. Instead of the cold nothing she had sensed before, this time she saw a spark of light. The light was coming from the southern part of Wisconsin, right where it should have been coming from. Now that Casey had a location, she put the fire out and closed her eyes.

When Casey opened her eyes she was standing in the middle of a motel room. She turned to look around and was swept up off her feet in a bone crushing hug. _Sam,_ she thought in relief. She had made it back. Casey couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips.

"I'm alright Gigantor, you can put me down now."

Sam set her down but kept his hand on her shoulder as Bennett came running into her arms. "Casey! I was so… I thought you were..." Bennett tried to say but couldn't get the words out, "How are you…"

"I'm ok, Bennett," Casey smiled as she hugged her. "I don't know exactly what happened. But fighting off the angels blew me away. Literally. I woke up a few hours ago in field. A wet, cold field. Phone was dead and broken, and I was out of juice. I guess I needed a few hours to recharge."

"A few hours?" Sam said, his hand again reaching for her arm. He looked exhausted and his troubled eyes told the story of what the wait had been like on their side. "Casey, it's been six hours since you disappeared. We all thought you were dead."

"Six? It didn't feel that long when I was there," Casey replied, looking over Sam's shoulder to see her father at the other end of the room. He looked almost as bad as she had felt in that field and he was rising from the bed as if he were in pain.

"Casey," Cas said, breathlessly, taking a step forward.

She wrapped her arms around him and he rested his chin on her head. He was alive. Casey tightened her grip and almost didn't believe it. When those angels had taken him… She'd feared the very worst.

"Are you alright? Should I heal you?" She asked after a moment, pulling back to look at him and considering his injuries. "What happened?"

"I am well." Cas said, touching her cheek. "I admit, they did not treat me kindly, but they should not have attempted to take me by themselves. I sustained injuries, which are healing, but I was able to overpower them. I have been recovering, Casey, and I'll be fine."

Casey nodded and briefly explained what she had done. "Dad? What happened to me?"

Cas pulled her toward the bed and they sat down while Sam and Bennett sat across from them on the other bed. Cas glanced at Sam and said, "This happened to me once, Casey. Sam, you will remember the time. It was in our attempt to stave off the apocalypse."

"When we were trying to rescue Adam." Sam said around the tightness in his throat as he remembered that horrible day. "You took out a bunch of angels and were blown to kingdom come."

"Yes." Cas nodded, looking back at Casey, "I used a powerful sigil against a group of angels and I, like you, woke up miles away, powerless and, for all intents and purposes, human."

"But you got your powers back." Casey said.

Cas shook his head, "Not exactly the same way you did. You are much more powerful than I am, Casey. What you did earlier...I would have died if I had attempted it. And you are recovering more quickly than I am even from what just happened to me."

"So she's going to be ok?" Sam asked.

"Yes." Cas said, squeezing Casey's hand.

She frowned, "What did those angels want with us? Who were they?"

"I don't know for certain." Cas said, "I believe they may have been angels who are attempting to restore the balance of power. You throw off the balance, Casey."

"I didn't mean to." Casey smiled wearily, knowing exactly what her father was thinking. Their secret was out. People, angels and demons, knew about her. Knew she was a Nephilim. Knew about her powers. She was in danger.

"Casey." Cas' voice interrupted her thoughts. He said, "I must go. I..I need to know what is going on out there. Please, lay low for now. You're in danger. Just as Crowley is ensuring your safety on his end, I must also do so."

"But it's not just me that's in danger, Dad. _We're_ in danger." Casey stressed. "Let me help you…"

"No. Not right now. The time will come." Cas said, standing up. "I can do this right now as long as I know you will stay here and be safe. Promise me."

Casey felt the weariness still in her bones and as much as she wanted to protest, as much as she wanted to be there with him, help him in their fight, she knew he was right. He'd been an angel a lot longer than she had even been alive. She squeezed his arm and said, "Be careful."

He nodded, "You too. I will be back when I have answers."

And he was gone. For a moment, Casey wondered if she hadn't made the wrong decision, but then she put it behind her. She had someone else she needed to focus on. Casey turned back to Sam and asked, "Where is he?"

"Room next door." Sam said, his eyes tight with worry. "I think he took out a liquor store. He hasn't let us in to see him since he got back. And that was about an hour after...after we got here."

"I should talk to him." Casey said quickly. She felt sick. After everything they'd been through at the bunker, the fight, the break-up...for him to have watched her basically explode into nothingness.. It couldn't be good what he was going through. She ran a hand through her hair and asked, "How much like a horror movie extra do I look?"

"Well, you look…" Sam started diplomatically, then just admitted with a smile, "Ok, you look pretty bad."

Casey nodded. It was good to see a smile on Sam's face. He could be so serious sometimes. She rose and headed to the bathroom for a washcloth. She said, "I should change. Bennett? Can I borrow a shirt?"

"Sure thing, Casey." Bennett said, rushing to her bag and yanking out an armful of clothes. She handed Casey a black t-shirt with _Led Zeppelin_ written on it in gray letters. "Will this work?"

"Sure. Do you even know who _Led Zeppelin_ is?" Casey asked, glancing at Sam, who respectfully turned his back so Casey could change her shirt.

"Nope." Bennett answered, "Dean picked it out. He said I needed to look more cultured."

"Uh huh. Well next time, let me help you pick out clothes. Dean wouldn't know cultured if it kicked him in the butt," Casey laughed. She pulled the shirt on and smoothed her hair down as best as she could. Heading to the door, she paused when Sam called her name.

"Hey," Sam started. "Are you sure you are ok?"

"Not really." She smiled, "But I will be." Pausing by the door, Casey looked back at the others and said, "This is probably going to take a while. Maybe now would be a good time for you to get ahold of Crowley and see what he has to say about Bennett's powers."

Bennett looked a bit uncomfortable with the suggestion, but Sam nodded.

* * *

Dean heard the knocking on the door and groaned. _Probably Sammy again. I wish he would just leave me alone already._ Dean wanted to be alone. He wanted to drink until he couldn't feel the pain anymore. He was out of whiskey and wanted to go get more from the Impala but he couldn't get himself to go that far. So he grabbed the bottles from the mini bar of the room and went to town destroying his liver.

The knocking turned to pounding but still Dean ignored it, pillowing his head on his arms. Eventually Sam would go away; he had the last two times. After another minute the pounding stopped and Dean closed his eyes, enjoying the silence. The silence was deafening though. The silence made his thoughts louder. And the louder his thoughts the more he felt the pain of Casey's loss.

Dean didn't open his eyes when he heard the fluttering of wings. It was Cas, and he didn't want to talk to the angel right now. The silence continued for another minute but was broken by a voice saying "Seriously? I disappear for six hours and you start trying to drink yourself to death? Really Dean? I'd rather not have to heal you from liver failure."

At the sound of her voice, Dean's eyes shot open and he sat up so fast his head spun. Gripping the edge of the bed, he looked up at the woman standing in the middle of the room. She was in dirty jeans and a _Led Zeppelin_ concert t-shirt that he vaguely remembered giving to Bennett. Her hair was a mess and there was still some blood at her hairline, but she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Desperate to get to her, but unable to move, Dean stared at her as she crossed the room. Dean reached out a shaking hand to touch Casey's face, afraid she wasn't real.

"It's me. I'm ok," she whispered, putting her hand against his on her cheek.

She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. Too overwhelmed, his hand slowly fell away from her cheek. He lowered his head until it was resting against her chest; she gently put a hand on the back of his head and one against his neck, cradeling him closer to her. Resting her chin against his hair, she clung to Dean, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her nearer; needing her to ground him in the moment. She was ok, he was ok, and everything was going to be ok.

"What happened? How are you… I thought you…." Dean said when he finally pulled away. He didn't let go of Casey's waist; he was afraid if he did then she wouldn't be real.

"It's difficult to explain," Casey answered. She reached to touch Dean's face. His stubble tickled her palm, but she didn't mind. She wiped away the stray tear that trailed down his handsome face. "Don't you know, if I disappear you should wait at least six hours before panicking?"

"I thought that was for swimming," Dean smiled. He didn't care what had happened. He was just relieved that she was ok and she was here in his arms where she belonged.

"Well that too," Casey said, returning his smile. "I love you."

"I love you too. More than anything," Dean replied. He pulled Casey closer and held her against him. "Don't ever do that to me again."

Casey nodded into his chest and simply promised "I won't."

* * *

"And I'm telling you the truth. Why would I lie?"

"Maybe because you're a demon?" Bennett said, folding her arms across her chest and tilting her head in irritation.

Crowley just rolled his eyes, "You don't know me very well, so let me clue you in, hell brat. I keep my word. And I don't lie. I've got standards."

Bennett chewed her lip and narrowed her eyes as she studied him. The demon disgusted her, but a quick glance at Sam showed her that _he_ seemed to believe Crowley, even if he didn't look happy about it. She asked, "So this is just going to get worse?"

"Better, worse, impossible to know." Crowley glanced briefly at Sam, then looked back at Bennett. He said, "Like I already warned you, your adorable little powers are barely under control. We have no idea what you can do, or what your powers can do to you. No one's ever seen one of Azazel's little experiments pop out of hell after developing their powers down there."

Sam rolled his eyes in annoyance, "Basically you have no idea either."

"Basically." Crowley shrugged. He looked at Bennett and said, "I know you already don't like it, what you can see and do. What you can hear. I just want you to be an informed consumer. It probably isn't going to get easier."

Bennett took a slow breath and sat down on the edge of the bed. This was _not_ what she had wanted to hear. Looking up at Crowley, she asked, "Can you make it go away?"

Crowley shook his head, "I don't know. I don't think so. But, as I have already pointed out, I'm not exactly the expert on your little predicament."

"Thought you were the king of hell." Bennett snapped.

"Yes." Crowley nodded, showing great patience although his eyes were hostile and irritated. "That title does not mean I know everything. Look, I don't like you. Don't particularly like the crowd you're hanging out with, either." He glared at Sam, then continued, "But Casey seems fond of you for some reason. I'll ask around. Do a bit of research. Get back to you."

Bennett stared at him, conflicted. She felt overtired and confused. There was no way she could trust him, and yet, Casey did. And so, apparently did the Winchesters. She watched as he tilted his head as if hearing something from far away.

He said, "Gotta run. Duty calls. I'll be back when I can."

Once he disappeared, Sam asked, "Could you read his thoughts?"

She nodded, feeling sick. Bennett said, "He was telling the truth, though. He has no idea. And he's...he's afraid of me."

"Good. He should be." Sam smiled, "But he doesn't know you could read his thoughts, right?"

"I don't think so."

"Ok. That's good too. Crowley _definitely_ doesn't need to know about that." Sam said, checking his watch.

Bennett said, "Sam."

"Yeah?"

"I need a cigarette."

He hesitated for a moment and she knew he didn't want to say yes. Of course, she didn't care one way or the other. She was going to have a cigarette with or without his permission which she certainly didn't need. Sam nodded, though, and said, "One cigarette then we go find something to eat. It's been a long day."

Bennett nodded, pulling on her jacket. Last thing she wanted to think about right now was food, but she knew he was trying to help; trying to distract her. They stepped outside and he glanced next door.

"I'm going to check on them." Sam said, "Hang on a second, ok?"

"I'll just go over there." Bennett pointed, desperate to light up. "I'm fine, Sam. I'll be right there."

It took a moment, but he finally nodded and let her go. Walking to a curb far enough away from the motel and the Impala to keep anyone from yelling at her, Bennett sat down and, with shaking hands, lit a cigarette. It had terrified her to have Sam contact Crowley, but they'd needed to know what he knew. Which, of course, had turned out to be nothing. Nothing except reinforcing her own fears.

There was probably no way to get rid of the power.

* * *

Sam watched until Bennett sat down on the curb and he was certain she wasn't going any farther away. Turning, he knocked softly on the door. No one answered, so he tried the knob. Finding it unlocked, he pushed it open and smiled at the sight that greeted him.

Dean was holding Casey in his arms, but she was slumped so far over that he seemed to be having trouble holding her up. Dean blinked up at him, seeming a bit disoriented. From the smell of the room, Sam wasn't surprised that his brother was out of it. Given the amount of liquor he'd apparently consumed, Sam was more surprised Dean was actually still able to get his eyes open. Sam smiled.

"You two look comfortable." he teased quietly, leaning against the doorframe.

Dean glared at him, obviously well aware of their rather awkward position. He shifted, attempting to sit up and ended up dropping Casey flat on her face on the mattress. Dean grimaced, then looked up at Sam guiltily. Sam just laughed.

"Shut up." Dean muttered, easing Casey onto her back.

She gave no indication of waking up, just snorted and found a comfortable position. Dean stared at her for a moment, then looked up at Sam, feeling the stress, anxiety and liquor hit him like a gale force wind. Standing up, he was surprised when he felt himself falling. But he didn't hit the ground; just found himself flat on his face on the bed next to Casey.

He shifted slightly and mumbled, "I hate you."

"Right." Sam rolled his eyes, the movement enough to make Dean dizzy. He slammed his eyes closed while Sam continued, "I just kept you from hitting the rather stained carpet."

"'m eternally grateful." Dean slurred. He sounded anything _but_ eternally grateful.

"Sure you are." Sam's voice grew distant.

Dean forced an eye open and asked, "Where're you going?"

Sam stopped by the door and said, "What? You want me to tuck you in or something? I'm going to take Bennett out for dinner while you two recover from your individualized attempts to kill yourselves."

"Kinda late for dinner, isn't it?"

"Been a long day." Sam sighed, shooting his brother a meaningful look. "Besides, not all of us drank our supper, Dean."

Blinking slowly, Dean tried to focus on his brother's face; _or one of them anyway_. The long day hadn't been easy on any of them and he knew he hadn't helped anything by running off and getting himself drunk. Fighting to get his mouth to form coherent words, he asked, "Ya ok Sammy?"

"Yeah, Dean. I'm good." Sam smiled. "Get some sleep, ok?"

"Bring us breakfast in the morning, ok?" Dean mumbled, slinging an arm across Casey's back. He heard Sam laugh and added, "Don't stay out too late…"

"Whatever, man." Sam laughed. He could hear his brother already snoring as he closed the door behind him.

His smile faded as he looked over at Bennett. He knew she was barely hanging on with everything that had been happening. From her powers to the trauma of what had happened to Casey, to the tension between Dean and Casey, culminating with their conversation with Crowley, he couldn't blame her for verging on a nervous breakdown. Walking over to her, he had to admit she was doing an amazing job of _not_ having a nervous breakdown.

"Hey." He said, sitting down next to her. "How are you doing?"

She shrugged and gave him a quick half-smile. Bennett lowered her hand and stared at the cigarette. For a moment, she was silent, then she finally said, "I...it's just been a lot. You know? Everything. Not just today. Everything. All of it."

Sam nodded. It _was_ a lot. He waited for her to go on. It took a few minutes, but she finally spoke up.

"I thought, for awhile, that it was over. Hoped...that...I was done." She dropped the cigarette and rubbed her hands over her face, then tucked her hands into her pockets and looked up at him. Her eyes were still red and puffy, underlined in dark circles. Taking a deep breath, Bennett said, "I thought, when we got to the bunker, that maybe it was all over. I didn't feel the same way. I thought the power...was gone."

"But it wasn't."

She shook her head. "It wasn't gone. It changed...got worse. I started to remember...my life before. And that...it's awful." Hands pressed against her temples, she whispered, "I didn't want this. And I don't want to hear them. To have this...this power. Sam, it scares me. I want it gone."

"I know." He wrapped his arms around her and she tucked her head under his chin.

They were silent for a few moments, then she spoke up again, "As scary as it is...I'm more scared that if I _didn't_ have the power...that, well, I wouldn't be much use to you guys without it. I didn't make it through high school so it's not like I have a lot of skills. I don't know how to kill things. I'm not a hunter. This is the only thing I know how to do to help. I can't even shoot a gun; just ask Casey."

Sam smiled, "You need more practice. And it doesn't matter if you can shoot or not. I don't _want_ you to have to shoot a gun. I don't want you to have to kill things." He pushed her back so he could meet her eyes. He said, "And I don't want you to be afraid. I know you've been on a wild ride since Cas pulled you up from hell. But I don't want you to be afraid that you're going to disappoint us or that we wouldn't want you around without this power."

Bennett didn't look convinced, "But why would you want me around if I was just normal? If I couldn't do anything to help you hunt monsters?"

"Maybe because we like you?" Sam laughed at her puzzled expression. He said, "Bennett, I know you seem to feel this very pressing need to live up to some high expectations that you keep making up in your head. But I want you to know something. I don't care." He glanced up as a car with a bad muffler went by, grateful for the interruption so he could gather his thoughts. "I don't care if you do or don't have any superpowers, if you can't shoot a gun, if you didn't graduate from high school. The only thing I care about is you."

Bennett held his gaze and he could see the uncertainty in her eyes.

He went on, "I wish you could be normal. I've always wanted, tried, to be normal. But that's never going to happen. And I'm finally, mostly, ok with that. Dean and I… this is our life. Weird. Crazy. Messy. If you want a normal life, you probably want to get as far away from me as you can. And I really hope you don't want to do that."

"Why?"

"Because I like making breakfast with you." He said simply, brushing the hair out of her eyes. "And if you want normal, you need to get as far away from us as possible."

"I'm not going anywhere." Bennett's smile widened as she moved even closer. "I like making breakfast with you too."

Sam leaned down and gave her a kiss. His hand still on her cheek, he whispered, "Bennett, I...I don't know exactly how to say this. Relationships…"

"Take work." She said softly.

"Yes." He nodded, struggling to find the words he needed. Straightening up, he turned away and stared at the gas station across the street for a moment. Swallowing hard, he finally said, "I haven't always had the best luck with them. Our line of work doesn't exactly make it easy to maintain a relationship. Once, a long time ago, though, I took a chance."

Bennett touched his hand and asked gently, "What kind of chance?"

"I let myself fall in love." Sam said, surprised at how much it still ached to say it aloud.

How much it hurt to remember Jessica. Her smile. The way she loved to bake. The way she'd given him something he'd never had before; had never known existed. For a moment, he couldn't speak as he thought about her and realized that none of his other relationships through the years, not even Amelia, had ever meant the same thing as his relationship with Jessica had. Blinking back unexpected tears, Sam looked back at Bennett.

He said, "I've always thought it was the best mistake I ever made. And I've always told myself it _was_ a mistake; to get involved like that, to let someone into my life. But it wasn't a mistake. And it's not a mistake now." Sam took her hands and said, "I'm in love with you, Bennett. I don't know when exactly it happened, and I know we've only known each other for a few weeks. The last thing I want to do is…"

"Shut up." Bennett said, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a kiss. She pulled back with a smile. "Skip all the crap, Sam. None of it matters. None of it. You love me and, guess what? I love you. That's all that matters."

Smiling, Sam let his forehead rest against hers. He felt his heart pounding as he said, "I want to make breakfast with you…"

"Tomorrow?"

"Forever." Sam whispered, asking her more than just a simple question about breakfast. "Wanna?"

Bennett nodded slowly and he knew she knew what he meant. She smiled and said, "Yes." They kissed again, then Bennett asked, "So you think we can just work out all the rest of this stuff...and keep making breakfast?"

"Yes." He said, feeling happier than he had in a long time. He smiled, "We can work the rest of it out."

"So you'll keep me around even if I can't shoot a gun…"

"You can practice…"

"...but can kill a demon with my mind?"

"I will."

"Even with my disastrous personal history?"

Sam rolled his eyes, "Trust me, we do not want to compare notes on disastrous personal histories. Ever."

"Deal." Bennett nodded, then whispered, "You must be crazy."

"Crazy about you." Sam said, taking her hand, glad that she seemed reassured and that

some of the weight had lifted off her shoulders. He asked, "You want dinner?"

She nodded.

Sam went on, "But I'm going to warn you, it's not just dinner."

"Oh?"

"It's a date."

Bennett grinned, "Really? Like a real date?"

"Yeah. Without demons."

"Sounds wonderful." Bennett nodded, standing up and pulling him to his feet. "I'm starving."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Hope you're enjoying. Much more to come!**


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

 _Wednesday morning, 0530_

 _Wisconsin_

"Should we take some back for them?" Bennett asked, licking sticky cinnamon roll frosting off her fingers. She turned around and walked backwards, trying to keep the wind blowing the right direction to keep her hair out of her face.

Sam laughed and said, "We _were_ taking some back for them, remember? We were taking the ones you just ate back to them."

Bennett almost looked ashamed of herself, but quickly ate the last bite of the last cinnamon roll and didn't really look that sorry after all. Eyes wide said, "They were really good, Sam."

"I can tell." He said, grabbing her shoulders and steering her around a slightly annoyed pedestrian that she'd nearly walked into. "So I guess cinnamon rolls go on the good list while raisin nut bread…"

"Is an abomination." Bennett wrinkled her nose, remembering the bite she'd taken of his bread. "Anything that looks like chocolate chips should not be in fact a shriveled up grape."

Sam sighed, "That's what Dean says."

"It's subterfuge, Sam!" She insisted, still walking backwards.

He smiled, but felt a pang of sadness thinking about the fact that she was still trying new foods to decide what she liked or didn't like. Her memories were coming back, but not completely. At least the cinnamon rolls had gone over well, although the absence of rolls when the rest of the group woke up was not going to be appreciated, Sam knew. Part of the whole point point in going out to breakfast had been to bring some rolls back to Dean and Casey and hopefully ease them into the morning after their rough night. He sighed; thinking about his brother and Casey left him worried and frustrated and with a growing tension behind his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Bennett asked, tilting her head and stopping so abruptly he had to grab her shoulders again to keep from barrelling right over her. She frowned up at him and said, "Something changed. Right then. Is it the cinnamon rolls?"

Smiling, he turned her around now that she was finished with the cinnamon roll and didn't need to keep her hair from blowing into her sticky fingers. He said, "It's not the cinnamon rolls."

"So what is it? You look worried." Bennett said taking his hand, and staring up at him. "Is it... _them_?"

Sam nodded, "It's _them_."

Bennett held his gaze for a minute, then said, "Isn't it a good sign that they were together last night?"

"I hope so."

They fell into silence as they walked. It was early and the streets had been mostly deserted. Sam yawned; it was _too_ early. Especially since they'd had a late night. But neither of them had slept well and, after lying awake and listening to Bennett tossing and turning with nightmares for almost two hours, Sam had suggested going for breakfast. So they'd hiked back to the nearest eating establishment, the same truck stop they'd had dinner at the previous evening. By they time they'd made it halfway back to the motel, Bennett had finished off the extra cinnamon rolls he'd intended to give to Dean and Casey.

 _Oh well, they can just deal with their own breakfast this morning,_ Sam shook his head as the approached the motel. The lights were still out in Dean and Casey's room and he wasn't about to wake them up this early so he just unlocked the door to the other room, flipped on the lights and let Bennett into the room. She went straight for the first bed and crawled under the covers, head on the pillow, smiling up at him sleepily.

"Turn off the lights, Sam. It's too early to be awake."

He hesitated for a minute, staring at her. He'd been planning to open the laptop and start...well he wasn't sure what he'd been planning to do actually. But it didn't seem very important at the moment and even the crisp morning air hadn't been enough to wipe away the exhaustion that came from being up almost the entire night. Dean and Casey probably wouldn't be waking up another hour; or longer depending on how much Dean had actually drank last night. So Sam just nodded and flipped off the lights, hanging his coat on the back of a chair.

"You're in my bed, Bennett." He smiled as she rubbed her eyes like a kid in need of a nap.

"I know." She said, not making a move. "Guess we'll just have to share, huh?"

"I could always sleep in the other one." Sam teased, even though he had no intention of doing so.

"Where's the fun in that?" Bennett whined, but Sam saw the truth in her eyes in spite of the teasing.

He knew she was still scared. About her powers, about everything that had been happening. So he just joined her and wasn't surprised when she wrapped her arms around him, head on his chest. Cinnamon rolls and light-hearted conversation or not, he could feel her trembling and it wasn't because of the cold.

* * *

 _Wednesday morning, 0810_

 _Wisconsin_

Dean felt something slap him in the face and he woke with a start, hand automatically

searching for a weapon. He was blinking his eyes in the morning light trying to remember where he was and why he felt so groggy and hungover when he heard a soft groan next to him. Glancing to his left, he saw Casey's face nestled against his shoulder, her arm now across his chest. With a relieved grin, Dean settled back against the pillow and sighed. Then everything came back to him from the day before, and the night before that and he felt a little less relieved and a little more anxious.

Swallowing against the memories of the attack in the mall, Dean concentrated on the fact that Casey was alive and breathing and that his arm was asleep. Hating to do it, he shifted and tried to pull his arm out from under her.

"Dean?" She mumbled, lifting her head up and blinking slowly at him.

Her hair was a mess and her face was blotchy and red from where she'd been laying against him. Even so, she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Dean sat up a bit against the headboard and smiled, "Hey."

Casey smiled back, "Hi."

"You sleep ok?"

"Mhmm." She nodded, pushing herself upright and looking around the room with a yawn. She asked, "What time is it?"

Dean glanced at his watch. He looked up in shock, "It's after eight."

Casey nodded, rubbing her eyes. "I want cinnamon rolls."

"I told Sam to bring us breakfast." Dean shook his head. "Never listens…"

"They've made us breakfast almost every morning at the bunker. They get to take a morning off now and then." She said, then flopped back on the pillow and groaned, "I really want cinnamon rolls, Deano. Like seriously want them...I'm starving."

"Ok, ok." He kissed the top of her head and said, "I'll see if I can find some. There was a truck stop a block away."

"Normally I'd say forget it," Casey mumbled, "but right now I'm actually hungry enough to eat truck stop food."

Dean eased off the bed, shaking his hand and feeling the pins and needles start. He said, "Stay put. I'll be back in a bit."

"Mmhmm...bring coffee." Casey curled up and fell back asleep before he had grabbed his keys.

His smile faded as soon as he stepped outside and the blast of the sun sent ragged spikes of pain straight to the back of his brain. Pressing his hands against his eyes for a moment, Dean wholeheartedly regretted his drinking spree. _Should've grabbed some aspirin before you walked out_ , he thought to himself. He stumbled to the car and got behind the wheel, fumbling for sunglasses.

Once he could actually get his eyes open all the way, he started the car and pulled out of the motel parking lot. Dean's relief at having Casey back safely with him was tempered by the realization that they'd settled nothing. It made him nauseous. Or maybe that was just the liquor. Either way, he knew they still needed to talk. They'd been too exhausted, and he'd been too drunk, last night to sort through the complex mess of their relationship.

Reaching the truck stop, Dean headed inside to find something for breakfast. Finding some cinnamon rolls, he headed for the coffee. His thoughts wandered back to Casey. He knew she was still bothered by his near obsessive need to protect her. Not entirely sure why she was reacting so strongly to it, Dean knew he needed to talk to her, get to the bottom of it. And he knew he needed to back off, to give her space.

Paying for the coffee and cinnamon rolls, Dean hurried back to the car. Back in purgatory, he'd protected her more times than he could count. And she'd never reacted like she had lately. Of course, he'd also fought side by side with her and not treated her like a kid, Dean realised with a grimace. First chance he got, they needed to have a talk. They couldn't go on like this much longer.

Sighing, he drove back to the motel and wished he could come up with the perfect thing to say to her. Whatever he came up with, though, sounded...well stupid. Mood darkening, Dean tried to shake himself out of it as he pulled into the driveway. Last thing he needed was to be in a bad mood when he went in to talk to Casey. Parking the car, he sat for a long moment in silence. He took a deep breath, then headed back into the motel room.

"Did you get them?" Casey's voice was eager and she grinned at him from the bed, sitting up, hair still a mess.

His bad mood evaporated as he approached the bed. She clapped her hands and reached out for a cup of coffee and said, "Oh you have made me the happiest woman in the universe."

"Don't thank me till you try it." He warned with a smile.

"As long as it's caffeinated, I don't care if it tastes like grease." Casey took a sip and closed her eyes in bliss.

"So better than grease?" He asked, sitting down next to her and taking a sip of his own cup.

Casey reached out for a cinnamon roll and said, "It's truck-stop coffee. But it's actually halfway decent truck-stop coffee."

Dean found that it wasn't even on the top thirty worst coffee's he'd ever had in his life. He fought for a cinnamon roll as Casey was already reaching for her second one. He asked, "How you feeling?"

"Sticky and gross. Nothing a shower can't fix. I'm okay." She said, "Really. Still a bit tired, but considering… I can't complain." Casey reached for the nightstand and tossed a pill bottle at him. "Take an aspirin. You have to be hungover."

"Little bit." He admitted. Wasn't much use hiding it. His head was throbbing in time with his pulse.

"Did you see Sam or Bennett?"

"Nope. I was focused on getting cinnamon rolls."

"We should probably check on them, don't you think?" Casey asked, finishing her second cinnamon roll.

Dean nodded and tossed his empty coffee cup into the garbage. "Probably."

Casey pulled on his jacket, "I texted them while you were out and haven't heard back."

"Some people are so lazy." Dean said, not really in a hurry to go anywhere. He paused and Casey looked at him curiously. He said, "I just had a thought."

"Hurt much?" Casey grinned.

"Funny. Actually, I was thinking...Sam said he was taking her out to dinner last night."  
"Aww!" Casey said, "That's so romantic."

Dean nodded, "But what if...what if they got up to, y'know?" He winked, "We did leave them unsupervised last night. Maybe they don't wanna be disturbed."

"We'll knock." Casey rolled her eyes. "It's almost nine, Dean, and we haven't heard from either of them. I'm getting worried."

"Ok, ok." Dean said, pushing himself to his feet. But before they could go anywhere, Casey's phone rang. He met her eyes and asked, "Bennett?"

"I wish." Casey grimaced and added, "It's Yvette."

Dean glared at her and said, "I really hate that woman."

"Hush." Casey said, answering the phone and patting his chest as she walked toward the bathroom to try to do something with her hair as she talked. "Yvette? What's up? You got my report, right?"

While Casey chatted with Yvette, Dean paced the room with growing frustration. He really hadn't been lying when he'd said he hated Yvette. As far as he was concerned, the woman was single-handedly responsible for his and Casey's recent arguments. He started cleaning his gun to try to calm down while he listened to Casey's half of the conversation.

"Really? Yvette, that's amazing! What are the chances? Ok...right…and she contacted you? Wow, well she sounds smart if she is contacting the museum rather than trying to do all of it on her own. Ok...yeah...yeah. Right. Sure, it would definitely be an important find. I'm sure she'll want to keep it for her own museum, but if there was any chance...exactly, a traveling exhibit would fit in so well with the Maritime exhibit we were planning for next spring."

Dean glared at the gun he was working on and wished Yvette had lost Casey's number. Although, to be fair, Casey sounded really excited about whatever it was Yvette was telling her about. He sighed. He probably should be a little less annoyed with all of this, especially since Casey obviously was thrilled with whatever was going on. He looked up as she walked back into the room and plopped down on the bed next to him. She easily displaced his weapons and tapped a hand on her shoulder.

With a slight smile, Dean started rubbing her shoulders, knowing that was what she'd been asking for.

Casey said, "What was your friend's name, again? Matilda Corprew. Got it. Ok. Right, right, ok sure let her know. I'll...yes, yes...I will. I'll let you know." Casey broke off and looked up at Dean briefly then said, "I just have to check on one thing. I'll call you back. Sounds good. Ok thanks, Yvette. Bye."

Dean didn't stop massaging her shoulders, but had a feeling _he_ was going to need the stress-relieving massage once he heard whatever Casey was about to tell him.

"Mmm, that feels so good, Deano." Casey mumbled, lowering her head and tossing her phone aside as she relaxed under his hands.

"Wanna tell me what that was about?" Dean asked, knowing immediately it was the wrong thing to say. Casey's muscles tightened and her back straightened.

"Maybe and maybe not." Casey said, irritation in her voice as she pulled away from him, snatching her phone up again. She stood up and folded her arms, "Why do you have to be like that?"

Dean sighed. Maybe instead of cleaning the gun he should have used it on himself before he said stupid stuff again. He shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, Echo. Ignore me."

"Sometimes I want to." Casey muttered, folding her arms across her chest. She glared at him for a long moment, then said, "If you're going to be a jerk about it, maybe I should just go."

"Go?" Dean didn't like the sound of that at all. He shook his head, "Don't go. Just tell me what's going on. Please."

Casey stared at him, took a deep breath and slowly her posture relaxed. She nodded, sitting back down on the edge of the bed. She said, "Yvette was calling because a good friend of hers had contacted her about an incredible find in North Carolina…"

"And Yvette wants you to go." Dean said. Shaking his head, he said, "Casey, you just got blown to kingdom come yesterday and you're thinking about a trip to Carolina?"

"Yes. Because I'm fine. I feel fine; just needed a good night's sleep." Casey nodded, trying to convince him. "Which I got. Dean, this find...it's...I can't pass it up. The museum is supplying a cottage and putting me up as long as I need to stay to help with the process."

Dean didn't need a long explanation, and apparently she knew that. Because her excitement came through in her voice and sparkling eyes. She grinned and said, "Besides, this should make you happy!"

"Why would this make me happy?" Dean grumbled.

"Because it's a nice safe little trip to a small island where I'll be assisting with the examination and cataloging of nice, safe artifacts from a 200 year old shipwreck." Casey smiled, "No angels."

"Except for one." Dean sighed, knowing he was going to have to lose this argument if he didn't want to lose Casey.

Her smile widened and she said, "Just me."

"So."

"So?"

"So, can I come too?" Dean asked finally.

Casey pursed her lips and contemplated before saying, "I suppose so." She smiled and moved to climb onto Dean's lap. She planted a chaste kiss on his lips and smiled. "Thanks for understanding. Besides, what could go wrong? It's just a few artifacts."

"Oh I'm sure something'll find a way to go wrong. It usually does," he smiled and rolled his eyes. He wasn't overly enthused about the idea of Casey running around an island with potentially cursed, haunted, or moldy artifacts after what she just went through, but he didn't have much of a choice.

"Go check on the kids, I'm gonna grab a shower real quick," Casey bounded up from Dean's lap. She flitted about the room, grabbing various items from her bag and a flannel shirt from Dean's bag before heading into the bathroom.

Dean huffed and stood from the bed. "Echo?" he called as he reached the door.

"Yeah babe?" she turned and faced him from bathroom.

"If we are doing this, I need to know something. It's kind of important," Dean started, but hesitated.

"Shoot," Casey replied. She wanted to ease his concerns about both her and this trip.

"Will there be beaches?"

Casey rolled her eyes and chuckled, "Yes Dean, there will be beaches. Islands generally are surrounded by them."

"And bikinis?" He asked hopefully, if slightly lecherously as he grinned at her.

Casey just raised her eyebrow and shrugged. "If you're lucky," she winked and closed the bathroom door.

Dean couldn't help the smile that split his face. They still needed to talk, about a lot of things. But at least this hadn't turned into the battle he thought it would. If they could compromise like this, maybe they would be okay after all. With that in mind, Dean walked over to the next room to wake up his not-so-little little brother and his not-so-girlfriend girlfriend.

* * *

Dean knocked on the door and waited. Mostly patiently. For five seconds. Then he pounded on the door, feeling slightly guilty about it. Slightly. He smiled when he heard muffled cursing and what sounded like someone running into a table. _Serves him right for forgetting to bring us breakfast,_ Dean thought, taking a step back and waiting for the door to open.

A second later, the door opened and he felt a bit guilty for being such a jerk. Because it didn't look like Sam had slept. Maybe at all. Considering _he_ was the one with the hangover, Dean couldn't figure out why his brother was the one who looked like hell.

"Hey."

Sam frowned at him, looking half asleep, and asked softly, "Hey. Everything ok?"

"Everything's not ok." Dean said, folding his arms over his chest. "You didn't bring us breakfast. I had to go get it myself."

"Um. Sorry. We did bring back cinnamon rolls." Sam said, not moving from the doorway. "Bennett ate them."

"Uh huh." Dean raised an eyebrow, peeking around his brother to find the room dark and a suspicious lump in his brother's bed. Dean grinned suggestively, "And what? You guys went back to bed?"

"Yeah." Sam said, looking unamused, "She was having nightmares all night."

And there went the potential material for Dean to tease Sam with all day long. Dean sighed, feeling even worse for pounding on the door. He lowered his voice and asked, "This is getting worse?"

"I don't know." Sam shrugged, then asked, "How are you guys? What's the plan?"

"I'd say there was no plan, but apparently there is a plan."

"Oh?"

"Casey got a call. Something about some historical find in North Carolina."

"So we going?"

"It's not a case, Sam."

"Ok. Then what? Is Casey going to check it out?"

"We're going." Dean said with a shrug as he rubbed his eyes, "I guess. I don't know, man, it just happened."

"Sure." Sam nodded, rubbing his own eyes, "Ok. Well, uh I guess I can take Bennett back to the bunker and…

"Come with us!" Casey said, appearing at Dean's side.

"Fastest shower ever," Dean commented, tucking her under his arm.

"Yea well it happens occasionally. Also I didn't do my hair cus I stopped caring. Also cus my arms are randomly sore and I didn't want to hold the blow dryer," Casey laughed, peeking into the darkened room, catching sight of Bennett untangling herself from a pile of blankets.

"What's going on in North Carolina?" Bennett asked, not bothering to get out of bed.

"An archeological find." Casey explained, pushing past the boys and climbing under the covers next to Bennett. She said, "They just found some wreckage from a ship that sank off the coast of Ocracoke Island in the 1700s. The museum wants me to go assist with the recovery and cataloguing of the artifacts."

"What ship is it?" Sam asked, sitting down at the table across from Casey.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Is there _nothing_ you won't geek out over, Sammy?"

Sam just glared at him and Casey smiled, clearly pleased to have someone who would get as excited about dusty old stuff as she did. She said, "They aren't exactly sure. But there's some evidence that makes the historian there think it could be The Flaming Ship of Ocracoke."

"The what?" Dean asked, but was completely ignored.

Sam's eyes widened and he suddenly looked wide awake as he said, "Seriously? That's crazy because we actually heard about your ship, Casey."

Casey exchanged a glance with Dean. He asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Last night, at dinner, this trucker was talking about…" Sam started, but Dean cut him off.

"Trucker?" Dean asked, incredulous. _So much for romantic,_ he rolled his eyes, "You took Bennett to the truck stop for dinner?"

"It was after ten. Not much open after ten." Sam shrugged, "Besides, you had the keys to the Impala and I didn't want to wake you guys up. So it was the closest thing to walk to."

 _Well, crap_. Dean felt a pang of guilt about that, but motioned for Sam to continue.

"This guy had just come from North Carolina. He was sitting near us and was really loud." Sam explained, "He and another guy started out talking about pirates and then he mentioned this legend. The Flaming Ship of Ocracoke."

"Pirates, eh?" Dean grinned, "Blackbeard?"

"Actually," Sam nodded, "Ocracoke is reportedly the location of his death."

"Huh." Dean raised an eyebrow. He grabbed a cookie out of a nearly empty package on the table and said, "Whole thing sounds hokey."

"Maybe, but there's a lot of lore about it." Sam said, warming to his topic. "Ever since the early 1700s when this ship sank off the coast, the island has been rumored to be haunted. The ship was bringing people to settle the new world and it didn't quite make it to shore."

"Something hinky happened?" Dean asked, feeling certain he already knew the answer.

"Oh yeah. According to the reports the captain decided to ensure he was going to be the

king of Ocracoke. The people on the ship were wealthy Germans, but, fearing pirates, they had made themselves look as poor as possible. The Captain figured it out and the night before they were supposed to take the passengers ashore, he and his crew murdered them all in their sleep."

"Of course, the ship burned up before he got to spend any of his money." Bennett said, trying to push her hair out of her face. She slid off the bed and said, "That's the other creepy part. But that's still not all of it."

"Flaming ships not enough?" Dean asked, "What else?"

Sam's attention wandered as Bennett stood up and grabbed her coat. He asked, "Hey, where are you going?"

Bennett held up her cigarettes.

"I thought you quit." Dean glared at her, "Or were going to quit. Again. Or whatever."

"I did. I am. And I will." Bennett shrugged and smiled brightly. "Just not today. And I'm not going anywhere near the Impala so don't even bother saying what you want to say."

Dean rolled his eyes as she left the room. He turned back to Sam, "You need to deal with that girl. She's getting too mouthy. Been hanging around…"

"You?" Sam smiled, "You're a bad influence on her."

Dean looked to Casey for support but she just nodded in agreement. Dean threw his hands into the air and said, "Alright. Back to this flaming ship thing. You said everyone died on that ship. So who exactly was it that told the story?"

Sam shrugged and ran a hand through his hair, "That's the question, isn't it? That sticky

bit aside, ever since the ship went down the island has had any number of freaky happenings. The lore on the ship says that it appears every September, on the first night of the first full moon."

"Well, it's not September." Dean said, "So we're not going to see it. Or were you planning to put a pin in it and take a trip this fall?"  
Casey kicked him under the table. "Will you let him finish?"

Sam smiled at her and continued, "That's why the truckers were talking about it. Every year people see this flaming ship in September. But the trucker said he'd seen the ship. Like within the past _week_."

Dean shook his head, "I don't like this."

Casey laughed, "What are you talking about?"

"You want to take a trip to catalogue crap from a sunken ship and now a ghost ship that only appears in September is appearing in the completely wrong month?" Dean said, already feeling the slight misgivings turning into pure dread. He didn't want to be anywhere near anything freaky. Not yet. Not after what Casey had just gone through.

Sam narrowed his eyes and asked slowly, "So you're bothered...what? That this ship could be haunted?"

"Of course I'm bothered that it might be haunted, Sam!" Dean snapped. "I mean, does anyone think we should, I don't know, maybe take a vacation? We just barely lived through a close encounter of the angelic kind. And, man, it's only been a couple weeks since we killed the

freakin' plague! Does that count for nothing?"

The room fell silent for a minute then Sam said, "We don't know for sure that anything weird is going on, man. Could be nothing."

"Or it could be something." Casey said, hand on Dean's arm, "But either way, I'm going, Dean. It's my job to help with those artifacts. After what happened in Chicago, I need to do something to help the museum out."

"I'm not going to win this argument, am I?" Dean sighed, trying to pull himself together.

Casey smiled, "Nope."

"Fine. Fine. We'll go." Dean surrendered, still not happy about the fact that a simple, boring museum trip now had the potential of being _their kind of thing_. The kind of thing that could get them all killed. He headed out the door and called over his shoulder, "Pack your crap, Sam."

Casey rolled her eyes at Sam, who rose wearily and started shoving stuff into his backpack. She watched Dean walk out of the room, then said, "I guess I kind of freaked him out."

"Just a little." Sam nodded, looking over at her. He said, "I know how hard things have been for you two. Are you doing ok?"

"Better. It's taking time. Adjusting, you know? But I think we're getting there." Casey smiled, motioning to the door, "I better go help him pack before he freaks out because I've been out of his sight too long."

She walked outside and found Dean already throwing some of their gear into the trunk of the Impala. "Wow, looks like you're ready to go."

"Not really." Dean shook his head, "I still think we need to wait. Just let you rest…"

"Dean, I'm fine." Casey protested, squeezing his arm. "I know I look like crap. I'm tired. Not gonna lie. Kicking angel butt is a bit of a drag. But I'm fine. I. Am. Fine. Ok? I swear. I'm tired. But I can catch up on my sleep in the car. If you would turn the music down once in awhile." She grinned at him, "You're going to go stark raving mad just sitting here in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin." She paused, considering, "Is there anything else in Wisconsin except the middle of nowhere?"

Dean smiled, "I think there's a place called Green Bay. Probably still the middle of nowhere, but they do have a football team."

"The cheese curds?" Casey laughed.

"Hush." Dean shook his head, looking around dramatically, "Be careful. They'll hear you."

Casey rolled her eyes, "Ok, let's go. I'll sleep. You can take care of me. Deal?"

"Like you're going to let me take care of you." Dean muttered, turning away in frustration.

Casey followed him and looked up at him earnestly, "I will. I promise you can take care of me. At least for a few hours."

Dean shook his head and cracked a small smile. He sighed, "You drive me nuts."

"I know. Road trip?" Casey grinned.

"Fine." He said, then pointed back at the room. "If they ever get themselves together, we'll go. But, right now, right this very second, I want it to go on the record. I am against this idea."

"Noted."

"So when the crap flies later and someone asks why we didn't just take a nice long vacation, I'm gonna be the one saying I told you so." Dean said, tossing his gear in the trunk. He grimaced at how little room there seemed to be in the trunk these days. Reaching in, he yanked out a pink Hello Kitty make-up case. That was the last straw. Glancing at Casey, he held it up and asked, "Yours?"

"Um, no." She giggled. "But I might have given her the money to buy it."

Dean rolled his eyes and dropped the case back into the trunk. He really didn't want to be touching it at all. It looked so out of place sitting on top of the weapons cache. Sighing, he asked, "I guess I'm going to have to get used to stuff like this, aren't I?"

Casey wrapped her arms around him, "I think so, dear."


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

 _Wednesday Evening  
_ _Diner, Highway 77 South_

He didn't know what he'd said. Which was a lie. Of course he knew what he'd said, and he knew he shouldn't have said it. But it was too late now. Dean shook his head, watching Casey storm toward the ladies room. He knew he should probably follow her.

 _Coward,_ he gritted his teeth and pushed back his chair loudly.

Well, if she didn't want to have a conversation like normal adults…. he turned in the opposite direction from his problem and headed for the front door; leaving Sam sitting there with that stunned silent expression on his face staring at a deserted table.

It had been a long drive. And given that he'd been the only one awake for most of it, Dean knew he was short-tempered from lack of sleep and a continued hangover. To say nothing of the lack of tunes along the way; necessary because at any given time one or all of his passengers were sound asleep. Besides that, he and Casey hadn't had any chance to deal with anything yet since they'd headed out on the road so quickly. When his tension and hangover had left him with a serious lack of patience and tact, it had resulted in him ticking Casey off without even half trying.

Clenching his fists, Dean walked toward the Impala. Reaching the car, he rested his hands against the roof and lowered his aching head. Wishing he could take back the past week was not going to solve anything. Didn't matter that they had a job they were trying to get to, they were finding a motel and he and Casey were going to have a talk. He couldn't go on like this. _They_ couldn't go on like this. Taking a deep breath, he straightened up and stared out across the road. Traffic was sparse and it wasn't surprising given they'd pulled off at the backside of nowhere.

Dean ran a hand over his face and heard a twig snap somewhere to his left. Looking up, he saw Bennett standing under a scrappy tree at the corner of the lot. Frowning, he studied her. She looked a little better than she had for the past few weeks. She'd left the table before he'd been an idiot and upset Casey. Assuming she'd come out to smoke, Dean was surprised to see her just standing there staring into the distance. She was flipping her Zippo with a practiced ease that had taken him a few salt and burns to get just right as a kid. Watching her, he realized she knew a few tricks he didn't even know.

She brushed her hair out of her face and smiled when he walked over. He leaned against the tree, folded his arms and asked, "Not smoking?"

"I hate it." Bennett shook her head, smile fading as she glanced at the pack of cigarettes in her hand.

Reaching out a hand, Dean easily pulled the pack of cigarettes from her fingers. Sliding the pack into his pocket, he exchanged it for a pack of bubble gum. His life had certainly taken a turn for the surreal if he was starting to feel comfortable carrying gum around with him everywhere. Bennett could be counted on to always have cigarettes and a Zippo on her, but they were discovering she had a habit of losing the gum in favor of a cigarette if no one was paying attention. Hence the fact that bubblegum was now crowding up every nook of his life.

Bennett stared at the pack of gum for a long time before finally taking it. Watching her open it with a distinct lack of enthusiasm, Dean had a feeling he knew what was really behind her bad habit. Smoking was the only thing she'd ever felt any control over in her life. It had been a way to rebel against her monster of a father and had since become her coping mechanism for anything life threw at her.

And it needed to stop.

Sam's words from the other day suddenly came back to him " _I don't want her to feel like she's trapped. I want her to be able to make her own decisions for once and choose her own life. I don't want her to feel like she has to stay with us if she doesn't want to."_ As she popped an obnoxiously loud bubble and continued to flip her Zippo, Dean decided they needed to start making a conscious effort to give her a little control.

"What do you want for breakfast in the morning?" Dean asked. _Step one._

"Um...waffles?" Bennett asked with a frown. "Why? What do you want?"

"Doesn't matter. Your choice tomorrow."

She brightened immediately, "Waffles."

Dean nodded and said, "Sounds good to me." Before he could say anything more, she gasped and jumped backwards, eyes wide. Dean spun around, looking for whatever had startled her and found himself face to face with Crowley. "What the?"

"Hello there, Dean." Crowley said, immediately pushing past him to stalk toward Bennett. "I need a moment with Miss Prentiss."

"Don't call her that." Dean said before Bennett had the chance. He grabbed Crowley's arm and halted him before he could take another step closer to Bennett. Dean said, "It's ok, Bennett. I'll deal with this."

Crowley wrenched his arm free and glared at Dean. He pointed at Bennett and said, "You better deal with _that_ or I will."

Stepping in front of Bennett, Dean frowned and asked, "Are you threatening her? In front of _me_? You think that's a good idea…"

"She's killing my employees!" Crowley shouted, eyes wild. "After asking for my help, after I said I'd look into her little condition, she starts killing my staff!"

Dean tried not to laugh. He stepped back and glanced at Bennett who looked less

pale and more bratty. She had a smirk on her face and Dean couldn't help but be amused at how Crowley brought out the best in her. Dean folded his arms and said to Crowley, "What do you want me to say? Sorry? Man, you're a _demon_. In case you haven't noticed, we are fundamentally at cross purposes."

"So you're just going to let…."

"Let her kill demons? Yeah. Pretty sure I'm going to." Dean grinned. "You want to keep your payroll, add a session on _stay the heck away from Bennett and the Winchesters_ to your new employee orientation."

Crowley sucked in a furious breath, visibly fighting to regain control over the situation. He seethed for a moment, then said through gritted teeth, "We could work something out...restore a natural balance…"

"The natural balance is me putting a blade through your throat." Dean growled, stepping closer. "I don't care that you have some kind of a relationship with Casey. I'm pretty sure she won't miss you that much if I take you out. Probably even put the blade through your throat herself when she finds out you threatened Bennett."

Adjusting his coat, clearly realizing he wasn't going to win any arguments, Crowley stepped back. He said, "Very well. You win. I'll keep my staff away."

"Stay away yourself too, Crowley." Dean said, "You come near her again, I will end you. Unless she does it first. Because she can."

"Cheerio." Crowley said, with a sneer.

As soon as he disappeared, Dean turned to Bennett, "You ok?"

She gave him a snappy thumbs up.

He asked, "He said you've been killing his employees. The ones at the mall weren't working for him."

Bennett shook her head, her smirk fading.

"So you've been shredding other demons?" Dean's eyebrows rose as he studied her. "When? How many?"

"A few. Here and there." Bennett shrugged. "I can hear them, now, remember? Sense their presence, sure, but now I can hear their thoughts as they hurt.. _.kill_ people." She looked up at him with sudden tears in her eyes, "What am I supposed to do? Ignore them? Let them kill people?"  
Dean's shock at this recent turn of events faded and he shook his head, "No. But this isn't all on you, either. Why didn't you say something?"

"Everyone's been busy. And I took care of it." Bennett said, trying to smile, "It wasn't a big deal. It doesn't hurt at all anymore. I think once I accepted that this is my life now, it's just gotten easier to do."

 _Well, if this isn't just great.._.Dean shook his head. While there was a part of him that really didn't care if she was taking demons out in her free time, he also knew the toll it was taking on her. Besides that, he was concerned that her actions now had Crowley threatening her. He said, "Look, not gonna lie, I'm glad you can gank a demon from a block away. Or however far away you can do it from. But you need to be careful. Crowley's a dirtbag. And you've got him running scared."

"I know."

As proud as he was that she was smug and smiling about it, Dean knew they had to be careful. He said, "You've got a power even he doesn't understand; a power that no one's seen in years. Not since I killed Azazel. And you've got it now and can kill demons with your mind. You're a threat to him. So from now on, tell us when you sense or hear a demon, ok?"

Bennett nodded and Dean was about to say something else when he caught sight of a commotion by the diner entrance. His heart skipped a beat when he saw a guy with his hands on Casey. Sam was already looming over the guy as Dean started to head that way. He called over his shoulder, "Bennett, stay there."

* * *

Casey hated cheap restrooms that didn't have paper towels. You couldn't exactly dry your tears under the energy efficient, hurricane strength hand blowers. _And why exactly does Dumpy Diner in Nowheresville USA even_ have _energy efficient, hurricane strength hand blowers?_ She shook her head and wiped her eyes on her sleeve.

Again.

Sighing, she stared at the mirror. At least she had kept her tears to a minimum so she didn't look like a ghoul. A quick touch up on the mascara and she'd be good to go. Fumbling through her bag, Casey wished she could hold her emotions in check a little better. _What's happening to me_? She never used to be so emotional. But ever since…

Purgatory.

Dean.

Life.

"Stop it, Casey." She muttered, trying to focus on her makeup.

Needed to focus on something other than purgatory, Dean, and life. And why exactly was any of that making her so upset, anyway? Just needed to take things one at a time. Needed to remember this was just as new to Dean as it was to her.

Casey rubbed a smudge out of the corner of her eye and said aloud, "Who would have thought the real world would be more of a challenge to our relationship than purgatory was?"

It figured though. They were both hunters. Hunters raised by hunters. Maybe purgatory had been the only place their relationship _could_ work. Shaking her head and shoving the mascara back in her bag, Casey pursed her lips. Wouldn't believe that. Wouldn't allow that. Because, no matter what, she loved Dean Winchester. Even if he was an overbearing, annoying, chauvinistic…

"Casey." She shook her head, interrupting her own tirade and glaring at herself in the mirror. "He wants to protect you. That's not a bad thing. Talking to yourself, though…" She snorted, running a hand through her hair. "That's gonna be a problem."

Feeling less like she wanted to wring Dean's neck and more like she wanted to just sit down and have a one on one conversation with him, she walked out of the bathroom, ready to face whatever he was going to throw at her. Casey immediately noticed the table they had occupied was now completely empty. Bennett had run out even before she and Dean had had their tiff. Casey frowned. _I probably should go check on her._ She was heading towards the door when she caught sight of Sam at the register. She rolled her eyes, completely unsurprised that Dean would just leave his brother with the check. _Typical,_ she thought to herself, irritation sparking despite her attempts to put out that fire.

Torn between worrying about where Bennett had gotten to and renewed frustration with Dean, Casey was only two steps out of the door when she looked up and saw a face that made her blood run cold and her gut do backflips. Not a good thing after a burger and milkshake. He was there, just to her left, climbing out of a beat up Ford Taurus.

"Casey?" His voice was as unpleasant as his expression. He looked like he'd lived a hard life since the last time she'd seen him. Not surprising. Walking toward her, he said, "Well if it isn't the thieving slut herself."

"Just leave me alone, Jake." Casey said, her heart racing as memories she'd tried so hard to bury came jumping out at her. _This can't be happening! How? What are the chances of running into him after all these years?_

She tried to walk past the man who had almost ruined her life, but he grabbed her arm and spun her around, shoving her back against the wall. She cringed back against the brick, all those horrible memories she'd tried to forget coming screaming back into her head as she stared into those anger filled eyes she once had thought she loved.

"Oh no you don't," Jake snapped, eyes more full of hate than Casey had ever seen them before. Apparently the years hadn't improved his mood or his manners. He leaned forward and shouted, "I'm not going anywhere until you give me back my car."

"You will never see _my_ car again," she spat back, even though her entire body was shaking. This was ridiculous. She was a huntress. A Nephilim for crying out loud! She'd killed vampires, Wendigos and destroyed the Black Plague. Casey was stronger and better than this. Shouldn't be, didn't need to be afraid anymore, but then Jake squeezed the arm he was holding, causing Casey to wince and she cried out, "You're hurting me!"

"I'm gonna do a lot more than that if you don't tell me where the car is," Jake raised his hand to strike.

All of the fighting instincts that Casey had developed left her mind and body in a heartbeat. She melted back against the wall, closed her eyes and turned her face to absorb the blow that was coming. But the blow never came.

"Hey!"

Casey opened her eyes to see Sam walking out of the diner and towards her and Jake. His eyes were dark with fury as he walked straight to her side. He easily towered over Jake. Casey almost cried in relief.

Sam's voice was low and dangerous as he asked, "There a problem here?"

"No problem here." Jake replied, his eyes never leaving Casey's.

"I wasn't asking you." Sam said, "Casey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine Sam, just go wait by the car," she pleaded.

"Listen to the lady," Jake said, turning his hateful gaze toward Sam.

"I don't think so," Sam said. He took a step closer to Casey, looming on Jake's right side. "Get your hand off of her. Now."

"You the poor sap she's playing with this week?" Jake scoffed, his hand still squeezing her arm painfully.

"No. That would be me."

Casey felt her eyes tear up at that familiar deep voice. Dean had come up and now stood on Jake's left side. Very closely.

He said, "How about you take your hands off my girlfriend before I rip your lungs out."

"Why don't you just back off and mind your own business?" Jake finally let go of Casey and turned to face Dean.

"She is my business." Dean said, gently touching Casey's arm, but keeping his eyes on Jake. He said, "Sam, take Casey to the car." He waited until his brother lead Casey away then grabbed Jake by the throat and pushed him up against the wall of the diner with a practiced ease that completely caught the man from Casey's past by surprise. Dean enjoyed the look of fear that erased the cockiness from Jake's face.

He said, "So you're the ex who couldn't keep his fists to himself? Gotta say, you aren't much to look at. And you won't even make that much of a mess if I shove your skull through this wall."

"You…" Jake sputtered, barely able to speak. Dean just nodded and smiled dangerously, one eyebrow cocked. Jake's hands came up around Dean's wrist as he coughed and struggled. He said hoarsely, "Let me go!"

"Oh, I will. I just want to have a quick chat. I don't know you, don't want to. Don't like you and would really prefer just to put a bullet between your eyes. But I'm not gonna do that, Jake." Dean said, "Ask me why."

"Why?" Jake gasped.

"Because I don't want to put you out of your misery." Dean lowered his voice and said, "I want you to be miserable every day. Every day I want you to think about the fact that I'm out here, in the same world as you, and I'll never forget you. I want you to think about the fact that you've made an enemy who will find you and kill you if you even look at Casey again. Understand?"

Jake nodded, his eyes wide with fear and hatred. Mostly fear, Dean thought with no small sense of satisfaction. Dean released his grip, brushed imaginary lint off of Jake's shoulders, grinned and walked back towards the Impala. He wished he could have beat Jake to a pulp, but under the circumstances, he knew it wasn't the right thing to do. He needed to be with Casey.

Dean saw Sam standing by the passenger side door, an arm around Casey's shoulders. Sam was saying something softly to Casey and she was nodding, head against his chest. Just behind her, Bennett was rubbing her shoulders in a comforting way, but the expression on her face as she stared at Jake was murderous. Maybe he shouldn't have taken the cigarette away from her earlier.

Sam and Casey looked up at him a she approached, although Bennett just continued to sear Jake with a glare that Dean knew would have shredded the jerk if he'd been a demon and not a human. Casey looked a bit teary, but met his eyes and he could see the determination and strength behind the pain. She took a step toward him, her own eyes briefly looking beyond him to where he figured Jake was still cowering.

He gently tilted her chin up and asked, "Hey, you ok?"

"Not really."

Dean vaguely noticed Sam and Bennett stepping back as Casey's head came to rest against his chest. Wrapping his arms around her, he whispered, "Don't let him do this to you, baby. You are so strong; he can't take that from you. Not anymore."

Casey's head came up and she brushed away the last of her tears. She smiled shakily and said, "You're right. Can you wait here? There's something I need to do before we go."

"I'm right here if you need me." Dean said, knowing she needed to get past Jake for once and for all. He tucked her hair behind her ears and nodded at her with an encouraging grin as she straightened her shoulders and walked back toward the diner.

* * *

"Hey, Jake." Casey called out, heart thudding in her chest.

She'd felt much more sure of herself with Dean's arms around her, but once Jake glanced up at her with those cruel eyes, she lost the last bit of nervousness. She'd waited years for closure, not even realizing exactly how much pain he'd caused her until right this moment. Now it was time to put him to rest forever and move on with her life.

He took a step closer and she said, "I've got something for you."

"Finally." Jake said, shaking his head, irritation coming off him in waves despite the fact he'd just been dressed down by Dean. He stepped forward, using his height to try to intimidate her, and said, "Where are the keys?"

"These?" Casey grinned, waving the Mustang's keys in front of his nose. She snatched them back with a smirk and said, "No, these are mine. But this," Casey punched him in the face, "is for you."

Jake reeled back slightly, gasping, eyes blazing. Before he could speak or make a move, she reached up, grabbed the back of his neck and brought his face down into her knee with a painful _thunk_. He collapsed to the ground holding his face as she stood over him and said, "And that was for me."

Casey took a deep breath, leaned down and looked him in the eyes as she said, "You hurt me, Jake, and I wasted a lot of my life on you. But it's over now. You think being a bully is what makes you a man, but I'm here to tell you I know two men who treat me as an equal but still treat me as a lady too. I'm in love with one of them and you better never come near us again or I can't guarantee one of us won't beat you senseless next time."

Straightening up, she turned and left him moaning on the ground. That had felt _incredibly_ good! Dean opened the car door for her, still grinning. As she got in, he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss, whispering, "That's my girl."

Casey smiled, feeling better than she had in a long time. Even as they headed off down the road, she knew she and Dean still needed to have a talk, thought. There were a few things they needed to deal with so they could put everything behind time too.

* * *

 _Motel, later that evening  
_ _West Virginia_

Dean hesitated just inside the door. He'd carried Casey's bag into the room and wasn't sure if she wanted him to stick around or if she just wanted to be alone after everything that had happened earlier with her ex-boyfriend. The drive from the diner had been relaxed although there'd still been the undertones of tension following the situation with Jake. Even if things seemed better, he wasn't entirely sure where things stood between him and Casey.

"Dean?"

"Yeah?" He glanced up as Casey waved him into the room as she sat down on one of the beds and curled her legs up under herself.

"Come'ere." She wrapped her arms around a pillow and said, "It's been a long week."

"It's been a long life." Dean said, his own exhaustion creeping into his voice. He sat down on the edge of the bed next to her and said, "Casey, I'm sorry you ran into Jake."

"Out of all the crappy diners in all the crappy towns…" Casey sighed, but smiled slightly. "He had to walk into that one."

Dean nodded, "What are the chances."

Casey rolled her eyes, "Astronomical I'm sure. Whatever. I don't want to talk about him any more, but we do need to talk. I know that...that things have been different ever since we got to the bunker. Maybe it was the fact that we were so busy, so focused on killing Pestis that we didn't have time to deal with...all of this. All the reasons that we don't...that we can't…"

"What? That we can't make this work?" Dean took her hands and said, "Because you're wrong, Echo. Wrong. We _can_ make this work. I'm not saying it isn't going to be hard. Probably the hardest thing we've ever had to do. But I want this to work. I love you and I don't want to lose you. Can we work on this together?"

"I want to." Casey nodded, eyes a bit bright, but there was a smile on her face. She said,

"I need to apologize, Deano. Since we got to the bunker I let my emotions get the better of me and I let the fear take over. I let myself feel trapped and as if I were still with Jake. You are not him and I'm sorry for treating you like you were."

She pulled him closer and went on, "I realize now just how much I hurt you by treating you like you were Jake. I don't want things to keep being like this, I just…"

"You need time to heal. I get that now." He said, with total understanding at last. He squeezed her hands and said, "We can do this. We just need to talk to each other, ok?"

Casey nodded, "I agree. Even if it involves a lot of shouting?"

"As long as we're talking, I don't care how loud we get." Dean grinned, giving her a quick kiss. He started to pull away and she tugged him back. He asked, "What?"

"Where are you going?"

"It's late, I figured…"

"Let's watch a movie." Casey said, handing him the remote and scooting over on the bed

to make room for him.

Dean sat down next to her and let her snuggle under his arm as she started flipping channels. He said, "You do know I can't promise I won't protect you."

"That's ok, I kind of like it." She giggled.

"But I'll try not to smother you with it."

"Sounds good to me." Casey said, settling against him more comfortably. After only a second, though, she was sitting straight up and Dean looked at her in surprise.

"What's wrong, Echo?"

Casey looked to the door and said, "Crowley."

No sooner had the name left her mouth did her demon uncle appear in front of the screen.

"What do you want?" Casey asked, more annoyed than anything. "I've had a very long day and would like to watch a movie with my boyfriend. So if you don't mind…" Casey said and made a shooing motion with her hands.

"Now love, is that how you greet your favorite uncle?" Crowley sneered.

"Cut the crap Crowley," Dean said. He sat up and put an arm around Casey protectively, even though he really didn't figure Crowley was going to hurt her. He wondered if the demon were back because Bennett had been shredding more demons in the interim. He needed to remember to mention that little caveat to Sam and Casey later.

Crowley was glaring at him and said, "Look, I just wanted to make sure you were ok, love. I saw that dirtbag, Jack, or whatever and I just wanted to know if you wanted me to send Juliet after him," Crowley said. He averted his eyes, looking at the ugly orange carpet, clearly embarrassed to show that he actually cared.

"That's actually kind of sweet, in your own weird creepifying way," Casey stifled a laugh. "But I'm good. Really. I handled it."

"Okay, well if that's all…" Dean said, awkwardly waiting for Crowley to leave.

"Yes, right. Well I'll just be off then. You know how to reach me," Crowley snapped his fingers and was gone.

"Well that was…" Dean started.

"Oddly sweet," Casey smiled. "So how about that movie?"

"Sure. I think they have the new _Casa Erotica_ on Pay Per View," Dean offered with a grin.

"Eww perv!" Casey laughed. She smacked his chest and took the remote. "How about _Godzilla_? It's the new one, I hear it's decent."

"The fact that I somehow scored a woman that not only can beat the crap out of just about anything but would also willingly watch _Godzilla_ makes me pretty damn lucky," Dean laughed. He settled back against the pillows and pulled Casey close and just enjoyed the temporary calm of the evening.

* * *

"Well." Sam said after a few long moments.

It didn't appear that Dean or Casey were going to be leaving the room anytime...ever. They'd arrived at the motel and Dean had helped Casey carry her gear inside and they'd closed the door behind them without a single word. Sam looked at Bennett, sitting on the trunk, dutifully chewing her fifth piece of gum. The chewing gum industry was clearly going to benefit from the nicotine industry's loss. He smiled and walked over to stand next to her.

"Well." She repeated, popping a bubble and smiling at him. Tilting her head, she asked, "Think they're getting their issues sorted out in there?"

Sam rolled his eyes, "I sincerely hope so."

"Probably take 'em all night." Bennett pulled him closer so he was standing in front of her.

"Most likely."

She fiddled with the lapel of his coat and said, "I'm glad we've got _our_ issues sorted out."

"Me too." Sam smiled, giving her a quick kiss.

"So we gonna sit out here all night?" Bennett asked impatiently. "Be a shame to let that other room go to waste."

Sam kissed her again and said, "True."

"The way they keep ignoring us is kind of rude." Bennett said, hopping off the trunk and grabbing her gear. "But I'm not complaining."

"No?" Sam asked, picking up his bag and following her to the other room. "Why not?"

She slammed the door behind him and threw her bag onto the table. Grinning, Bennett said, "Because as long as they're busy talking or whatever," she wrapped her arms around him, "we can get busy not talking...or whatever."

Sam kissed her and nodded, "Or whatever…"


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi! man...I've NEVER posted 3 chapters in one day! Two different stories, but still! Wow. New record haha! :)**

 **Thanks for taking the time to read! Hope you enjoy this chapter...the action is starting to heat up...**

* * *

 **CHAPTER NINE**

 _Thursday afternoon  
_ _Ocracoke Island, NC_

"There's something really freaky about this island."

"What kind of freaky?" Dean asked, looking around the center of town as they strolled past a group of tourists fighting over a map.

He felt a chill run down his spine even though the day was mild and the temperature was in the mid-sixties in the sun. They stood just outside the visitor's center, watching the boats on Silver Lake. The sun was out, people were laughing, talking, carrying on with their everyday business. It looked like a perfectly normal town. With perfectly normal people. Or so he'd thought, hoped, until his little ray of sunshine had to burst his bubble of denial.

Bennett reached for her second cigarette and said, "I don't know what kind of freaky. Too normal to be true kind of freaky?"

"Hmph." Dean grunted, reaching over and yanking the cigarette out of her hand. He pulled a piece of gum out of his pocket and handed it to her. She took it without a word and he went on, "You sensing demons?"

"Nope." Bennett blew a bubble, popped it loudly, then said, "Freaky. That's all I've got."

"Well, given this island's history, it isn't surprising that something feels wrong." He said, remembering the hour long lecture Sam had given on the way. Sunken ships, haunted treasure, Blackbeard, ghost ships. At least the details about the pirates had been entertaining. Dean glared at the normal all around them and wondered why a nice sunny happy place that he had no reason whatsoever to expect to be in any way sinister seemed so downright foreboding.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything." Bennett interrupted his thoughts. "Now you look worried."

Dean saw the worry in her own eyes and shook his head, with a grin, "Nope. Not me. Tourist traps are always freaky, Bennett. It's part of the charm."

She didn't look entirely convinced and he wasn't entirely convinced either. Because she was their very own demon early warning system and even if they had no reason to believe her powers worked on anything but demons, if she said she had a freaky feeling, Dean was more than inclined to put stock in it. But that didn't mean he wanted to ruin her day or put any added stress on her shoulders. If she wasn't sensing demons, he was calling it a win.

"So." He said, clapping his hands together, listening to the happy chatter of tourists and smelling the ocean on the breeze. "Tourist trap. We've got the afternoon while the geeks geek out. What do you want to do?"

"Um." Her eyes were wide as she glanced around the town square. "I have no idea what you do in a tourist trap."

"Sightsee." Dean said, pointing out a display touting ghost ship tours. "How are you with boats?"

"I grew up around the Great Lakes." Bennett shrugged, "Big bodies of water are nothing new to me, but I've never been to the ocean. I'd love to go boating."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Bennett nodded, tucking her hair behind her ears and frowning as if in deep thought. "I...we sometimes went out. My parents had a couple boats. They didn't take me very often."

"Do you...are you remembering everything?" Dean asked, a little nervous to even consider working his way through that door. Bennett was freely talking about it, though, so he figured it was safe to ask. "You seem to be remembering more about your past."

She shook her head, "Not everything. Just some stuff. It comes back in pieces. Like, I'll see something and it'll bring something up. Until just now, I didn't even remember we had a boat."

"That must be frustrating."

"Yeah." Bennett nodded, glancing at the ground. "I feel like I'm looking at all these puzzle pieces that don't fit together anymore. And I'm not sure I want them to. Because everything I've remembered...I just want to forget."

Dean nodded; he could understand that. He thought back to the difficult days when he'd had to face up to the memories of what he'd done in hell. There wasn't much he could say to make things better for her, but at least he realized that and wasn't about to offer her any trite words of false consolation.

She spoke up again a moment later, skittishly meeting his eyes, before looking back at the ground, "I'm remembering more because...I'm letting myself."

"You're not painting your pictures all the time."

"I'm trying not to. It...it's hard remembering stuff, but at least now I feel like a person again." Some of the worry in her eyes faded and she smiled, "It was really weird not having anything in my head until Jody found me."

He glanced at her and found her smiling brightly. Smiling curiously, he said, "You look pretty happy."

"I am. Is that weird?"

"Well, considering what you just told me, I guess I'm a little surprised is all…"

Bennett nodded and said, "All the remembering sucks. But, the here and now I like."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She grinned. "I honestly never thought I'd be this happy."

"Never?"

"No. It was miserable growing up. I was a mess. If my dad hadn't done what he did," She shrugged, "I probably would have self-destructed. Smoking was my most innocent vice, Dean."

"Wow." He raised an eyebrow. He really hadn't expected a revelation like that.

She made a face and said, "I really need to quit again, don't I?"

"If you want me to get off your back about it, yeah you probably should."

"I know. It's on my to do list."

* * *

 _Ocracoke Museum_

"Hello?" Sam knocked on the half open door. He glanced at Casey and she shrugged, peering around him. The Ocracoke Museum was apparently nothing more than a rather unimpressive outbuilding next to a lighthouse on the south side of town. The place was quiet and seemed deserted. Sam asked, "She said she'd meet us here, right?"

Casey nodded, "Maybe she just stepped out for something?"

"I guess we are a bit early." Sam checked the time, then stepped inside the room. The museum boasted one large display room with a couple other rooms off to the right. Together, they took a minute to stroll around the room, taking in the displays.

"Well, it's not the Field Museum, but it's actually very well laid out," Casey commented, leaning over a display case of coins, "I've seen other museums with endless funding that haven't put this much effort into things."

Sam nodded, studying a floor to ceiling topographical map of the island and the waters surrounding it. He said, "This could come in handy."

"Wow." Casey's eyes widened as she joined him in front of the map. "This is incredible. Look, it even shows where the Flaming Ship supposedly appears." She pointed at a flagged area, "We'll have to check it out."

Sam was about to reply, but heard some heavy breathing and stumbling steps somewhere behind them. Turning, he crossed the room quickly and barely made it in time to catch a huge box of papers that a young woman with long dark hair and startling blue eyes was trying not to drop.

"Thank you!" The woman breathed out, clutching frantically at the rest of the papers in her arms. Casey stepped forward and helped her get the papers onto a nearby desk without them all ending up on the floor.

"No problem." Sam said, setting the box down and studying the woman. She was a little younger than Casey and had that same glamorous yet studious air to her. Her eyes were wide as she looked up at him.

She blushed, then looked from Sam to Casey, pushing her long hair back and offering her hand to Casey, "I'm guessing you're Dr. Economou?"

Casey smiled, accepting her hand and said, "Casey is fine. Matilda Corprew?"

"Yes." The woman smiled, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Casey. Thank you for coming all this way."

"It's my pleasure." Casey said, then motioned to Sam, "This is Sam Winchester. Friend of mine and fellow history buff."

Matilda's smile widened and she shook his hand, "You certainly put the buff in history buff."

Sam's eyebrows rose and he could see Casey stifling a laugh from her position behind Matilda. He smiled and said, "Um, thank you I guess."

"I'm sorry!" Matilda turned a brighter shade of pink and stepped back. "I...I'm just...well," she floundered, looking for way out of the embarrassing situation she'd just created. She grabbed a notebook from the desk and shoved it into Casey's hands, "This is the catalogue I've got so far."

"Of the artifacts?" Casey asked, still smiling in amusement.

"Yes. I've been trying to keep it organized, but we're not exactly equipped for any kind of large scale recovery or restoration. I'm basically the only staff here at the museum," She waved a hand around the room, "and you can see that it isn't really much of a museum."

"Actually, we were discussing how well organized and nice it is, Matilda." Casey said, glancing at the displays. "Honestly, with a limited budget, you've done a great job here."

Matilda brightened at the praise and said, "Thank you. It's my hobby and my life, I guess you could say."

"Are you originally from the island?" Sam asked.

"Yes. My family has been on the island since it was originally settled."

Casey asked, "So back to the time of the Flaming Ship?"

Matilda rolled her eyes, "Yes actually. And funny you mention the Flaming Ship. I'm sure you noticed the hubbub in town. This discovery and bringing up of the wreckage has spawned a tourist influx to the island thanks to someone starting to talk about the Flaming Ship."

"We did actually hear that the ship has been appearing," Sam nodded, "out of season for when it's typically been reported. You seem skeptical."

"When you live in a tourist destination, you get a bit skeptical." Matilda shrugged, motioning to a table and pulling out a chair.

Sam and Casey sat down across from her and Casey said, "So you don't believe in the ghost ship?"

Matilda took a deep breath, running her pink nails along the edge of the table. She finally said, "I don't know."

"Have you seen it?" Sam asked.

"Yes." Matilda nodded. "Well, I've seen the apparition anyway. I've seen it in September and but I haven't gone out looking for it this time. I know the reports of it showing up have brought a lot of business to the island and I think everyone's playing into it right now."

Casey asked, "So it actually started appearing…"

"When the wreckage came up," Matilda finished with a smile, "Yes. That very night. Or so I was told. Some people were actually fighting bringing up the wreckage because of it."

"How was the wreckage originally discovered?" Casey asked, "My associate didn't say when she mentioned your project to me."

Matilda pulled a picture out of a pile of notes and said, "This is Gary Darvill. Old as dirt. Probably was around when the original ship sank," She smiled, "and he's the one who found the wreckage. He's a fisherman and diver and is also very interested in the history of the island. He usually takes diving groups out on tours. The waters around Ocracoke are full of wrecks; it's a dangerous area but he knows it like the back of his hand."

Casey took a peek at the picture of the older man standing in front of his boat, _The Little Sandpiper_ , then passed it to Sam who asked, "Is there any way to actually confirm the wreckage he found was that of the Flaming Ship?"

"Not really," Matilda shook her head, "because no one really knows what ship it even was. The legend has really created itself over the centuries. There may not have actually _been_ one ship that the legend is springing from. Many ships went down; and more than one went down in flames. It's only because now people have started reported seeing the Flaming Ship that everyone wants to believe the wreckage is from that particular ship."

"I can certainly see why people would _want_ to believe that it's the ghost ship," Casey smiled. "Legends and mysteries and ghosts always attract attention." She smiled and exchanged a knowing glance with Sam then said, "So. What can we do to help, Matilda?"

* * *

 _Little Sandpiper, 100 foot live-aboard dive boat_  
 _2 miles off the coast of Ocracoke_

"And that's the reason this is part of the Graveyard of the Atlantic."

Dean raised an eyebrow. Not because of what the captain of the dive boat turned tour boat had said, but because he still was having trouble wrapping his head around the fact that guy standing in front of him was the captain of the dive boat turned tour boat. Gary Darvill was small enough that Dean would have bet money on Bennett in a fight against him. He had round librarian glasses and a matching round face that made him look younger than he probably was. He didn't have a beard, didn't talk like a pirate and look anything like a salty dog of the sea. He didn't look like much of anything, in fact.

Darvill's monologue ended with his statement and a half shrug as he left the small crowd of tourists and headed back for the helm. The tourists shared mildly amused glances, then began milling around the deck of the boat, probably all hoping to catch a sight of a shipwreck or the actual Flaming Ship. Which seemed fairly unlikely in the middle of the afternoon; but Captain Darvill had been sure to tout his midnight cruise as an option.

"So?"

Dean glanced down at Bennett and asked, "What?"

"So. Is it a case?" She asked from behind her sunglasses.

Narrowing his eyes at her suspiciously, Dean asked, "What are you talking about?"

"A case. You know. Spooky stuff?" Bennett said, tilting her head. For once her hair wasn't in her eyes, thanks to the pink knit beanie he'd bought for her at one of the souvenir shops along with an assortment of candy and the sunglasses. She pushed her sunglasses up on her nose, peering at him from under them before letting them drop back down. Standing on her tiptoes, Bennett whispered loudly, "Is there something here to gank?"

Dean rolled his eyes and put his finger against her lips as he shushed her. He tugged her by the elbow until they'd moved a few steps away from the crowd. Then he asked, "Why would you ask that?"

"Because it's what you're thinking, isn't it?" Bennett smiled widely, "I can read your mind and you're not even a demon."

"I'm not thinking that there's a case here."

"Yes you are. You've been thinking that since we started on this trip. You just haven't wanted to bring it up because you're worried about Casey."

Dean shook a finger at her and said, "Ok seriously. Enough. There's no case here. Just a boring museum job that is absolutely not at all suspicious."

"Nope. Not at all."

"Not even a little."

"Because ghost ships appearing aren't weird enough, now they're appearing out of season right after a bunch of centuries old wreckage has been brought up." Bennett said, leaning back against the rail of the boat, hair fluttering in the breeze.

"Exactly." Dean said, then shook his head, "Wait, what?"

Bennett just lowered her sunglasses this time and peered over the top of them, pursing her lips as she stared him down.

"Stop it."

"Weird."

"Nothing's weird here."

"Weird weird weird." Bennett continued, shaking her head slowly back and forth.

Dean lowered his head, bracing his hands on the railing and groaning. He straightened up and said softly, "It is weird, isn't it?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Great. That's exactly what I was afraid of."

Bennett nodded and said, "So what do we do about it?"

"Nothing right now. Because we don't have anything. Not really. Just your weird feeling."

"And _yours_."

"And mine. So we keep our eyes open. And we keep it between us." He said, shooting her his most serious look. The one he'd come to realize usually bounced off her as easily as it bounced off Sam. "The geeks can geek and you and I will…"

"Sleuth."

"What?"

"Sleuth. Like Nancy Drew." Bennett explained patiently.

"That's not a word."

"Totally is."

"Whatever." Dean said, looking out over the waves. This was exactly what he'd been afraid of when Casey had answered that phone call from Yvette in the first place. They needed a break, not another case. And yet here they were. Ghosts. And weirdness. And most likely a case.

"What do we do now?" Bennett asked, interrupting his dismal thoughts.

Dean sighed and met her gaze. He said, "For now, we keep our eyes open. Ok? We observe with our eyes. There's always a chance this is all a hoax and the wreckage is...just wreckage."

Bennett nodded slowly and said, "Yeah. And I'm a nice, normal girl from Michigan."

Putting an arm around her shoulders, Dean kissed the top of her head and said, "You _are_ a nice, normal girl from Michigan."

* * *

 _Ocracoke Museum  
_ _Evening_

"Well, I think we have a good start anyway," Casey said, untwisting the rubber band in her hair and letting her curls flow down her back. She stretched her back and stared at the artifacts they had spread across the tables in the back room of the little museum.

Matilda nodded with a heavy sigh. She said, "Until Mr. Darvill brings up more of the wreckage, I'd say we have made progress."

"How much more does he think he'll be able to bring up?" Sam asked, carefully

settling one of the smaller artifacts in a wooden box that Matilda had prepared for shipment to Chicago.

"I'm not exactly sure." Matilda said, "He's not exactly organized, but he has been doing this sort of thing for years. And since there really isn't any funding for this project, and the wreckage has yet to be confirmed as a legitimate historical finding, I'm left with Mr. Darvill as my recovery agent."

Casey nodded, slipping her notes into the box that Sam was packing. She said confidently, "I'm sure the museum can help with all of that. From what I'm seeing, it all looks legitimate and like it should be confirmed rather easily with a few tests in Chicago. I'll call Yvette and let her know to be expecting the deliveries."

Matilda nodded her appreciation, wiping the back of her hand across her forehead and stacking the rest of her notes on the table. She was about to say something, but a knock at the door interrupted her. Casey turned and smiled at the sight of Dean and Bennett poking their heads around the sides of the door.

"Hey." Dean said, catching her eye and grinning as he walked into the room.

"Hi." Casey said, rising from the table and motioning for them to come closer. She noted Matilda's eyes widening and she tried to stifle her grin. Apparently there weren't many prime male specimens on the island of Ocracoke.

Matilda was already across the room and extending her hand to Dean even though Bennett was closer. Casey caught Bennett's slightly confused, but mostly annoyed expression as Matilda swept by her and clasped Dean's hand with more enthusiasm than was strictly necessary. Casey heard Sam snickering behind her and wanted to laugh too at the expression on Dean's face as Matilda eagerly shook his hand.

"Hello, welcome to the Ocracoke Museum. My name is Matilda Corprew," Matilda said, still shaking Dean's hand, "Can I help you?"

"Um." Dean said, eyes almost nervously flicking to Casey and then back to Matilda, "Hi." He said, extricating his hand from her grip and not very subtly wiping his hand on his jacket. Pointing a finger at Sam and Casey, Dean said, "We're with them."

"Oh!" Matilda smiled, "Welcome to the museum. Yes, please come in. Are you buff too? I mean, obviously you are, but are you a history buff?"

Casey rolled her eyes at Sam as Matilda turned a bright shade of pink again. Dean didn't look like he had a clue what to say or do and Casey loved that he was looking at her like he was afraid of her. Or afraid of Matilda. Or both probably. Dean finally managed to stammer out, "I'm not...no I'm not...I'm just here for...this is Bennett."

It was becoming incredibly difficult to contain her laughter, Casey found as Dean put a hand on Bennett's back and pushed her toward Matilda. He sidestepped around them both and hurried to her side, his eyes wide as he mouthed _what the heck?_ Casey just shook her head and watched as Bennett and Matilda shook hands rather awkwardly and without any friendly conversation. Once that deed was done, Matilda was turning around and seeming to have a hard time choosing where to rest her eyes; on Sam or on Dean.

Casey knew she had to step in before someone died from the awkwardness of the situation or Bennett punched Matilda. Since that actually seemed the most likely thing to happen next given the way Bennett was glaring at the back of the woman's head, Casey stepped forward quickly and said, "Matilda, what time would you like for me to come back in the morning? I'm available any time and I think we could make great progress on the rest of this in a few hours."

Matilda's eyes were still bouncing from Dean to Sam and back again, but she said, "Oh, please come whenever you'd like to. I appreciate all of your help."

"Uh huh." Casey said, finally feeling just a pinch annoyed with the pretty museum

caretaker. She didn't feel in the slightest threatened by the flaky woman's obvious interest in Dean, but the fact that she was now basically ignoring _her,_ the actual expert, was grating on her nerves. So she gave Sam a look and he nodded quickly, moving past Matilda and tugging at Bennett's arm to get her to leave the room. Casey smiled at Matilda and said, "I'll come by around ten."

"Thank you." Matilda beamed, eyes on Dean.

"You're welcome." Casey said, pushing Dean past the woman as she added with no small degree of emphasis, " _I'll_ see you in the morning, Matilda."

"Oh," Matilda finally met Casey's eyes again and she seemed to get the picture. "Oh, yes. Ok. Thank you, Casey. Have a good evening. If you're looking for a place for dinner, check out _Flying Melon or Dajio_. Best places on the island."

"Thank you, I'm sure we will." Casey said, then quickly followed Dean out the door.

They'd only made it a few yards away before Dean turned to her and said, "Wow."

"I know." Casey smiled, pulling him farther away from the museum. "I don't think she gets out much."

"Or maybe she just hasn't seen such a fine specimen…" Dean started, grinning and waving a hand at himself.

Casey simply said, "She was all over Sam too, dear."

Dean's grin faded as he looked for his brother. He and Bennett were already halfway down the street, walking straight past the Impala. Dean said, "I'm thinking she didn't exactly make a friend with Bennett today."

"No." Casey smiled, putting her arm around Dean's. "I don't think so either. It would probably be best if you three found something fun to do tomorrow while I go back to meet with Matilda."

"Didn't you two geeks have fun?"

"Yes, but I really don't want to have to fight Matilda off your brother tomorrow." Casey said, "Or try to keep Bennett from killing her."

Dean paused at the car and said, "Deal. I'm sure we can find some fun in town."

"Good. I'm eager to hear what you two got up to this afternoon, but right now I'm starving."

"Me too."  
Casey raised an eyebrow, "You two didn't already eat?"

Dean grinned, "Well, if we did, we're ready to eat again."

"Of course you are." Casey rolled her eyes and got into the car. She stared at Sam and Bennett who were still walking farther away down the road that led to town. "You better drive fast or they're going to be all the way back to town before we leave the parking lot."

* * *

 _Ocracoke Beach  
_ _10:45pm_

"This place is a mess." Dean said, feeling the annoyance that came from having to actually battle traffic on an itty bitty island to get to a beach. He didn't like traffic on a good day. There was a freakin' reason he stayed to the good old two lane blacktop as much as humanly possible.

"Maybe you should have stayed at the cottage, Deano." Casey laughed, tugging him forward just as he started digging in his heels.

He shook his head, mumbling under his breath in irritation. Following the crowd, they walked past a dozen cars before they could even get close enough to see sand. The beach was swarming with people. Dean was still surprised by the sheer number of people, considering how small the island was in the first place. When they'd arrived earlier in the day, he'd seen that the island was busy with enthusiastic tourists and enthusiastic locals eager to take advantage of the enthusiastic tourists. But it hadn't been a concentrated grouping of them all on one beach at one time before now. It looked like a small city had sprung up on the shores.

"Are they actually selling food?" Sam asked, following Dean's own gaze at the tents to the left.

Dean nodded, warming to the situation. He said, "Bet they're charging double what they should be for a pretzel."

"I want a pretzel." Bennett said, already weaving her way through the milling people.

"Sam!" Casey waved a hand.

"I've got her." Sam said, pushing past a group of giggling middle-aged women as he hurried to not lose sight of Bennett.

"Bring me one too!" Dean shouted after him.

"Seriously?" Casey rolled her eyes.

"It's been hours since I've had anything to eat."

Checking her watch, Casey had to nod, "You're right. Two whole hours."

Dean touched her elbow and guided her closer to the water. He shrugged, "It's a pretzel. It's a tourist trap."

"Mmhm." Casey nodded as they walked closer to the water. The beach was lit up some campfires, lots of torches posted in the sand and a few spotlights nearer to the vendors. She pointed up the beach, "Let's go there."

In the pale moonlight, Dean saw the sharp shape of some large boulders a good twenty yards up the beach from where they were standing and nodded. The boulders were a nice distance from the main hubbub and he was ready to be done with the crazy. Casey tucked herself under his left arm as they strolled the beach. The wind was brisk along the water's edge and the temperature had dropped significantly from the pleasant coolness of the sunny day. He felt Casey slip her right hand in his back pocket.

"You feeling me up, Dr. Economou?"

"Just warming my fingers. No pockets in this coat." Casey said, reaching up with her left hand to grasp his hand. He tightened his fingers around her cool ones and held her hand up at her shoulder level.

"So you're saying it's too cold…"

"Yes, Dean, it's too cold for a bikini." She laughed, reading his mind all too easily.

"I knew I hated this trip."

"Would it make you feel better if I pointed out Florida isn't _terribly_ far from here?" Casey looked up at him in the darkness but he could see the whiteness of her teeth as she smiled up at him. "We could always go to Florida...where it _is_ warm enough for bikinis."

Dean brightened, "I like this idea. When do we leave?"

Casey led him to the boulders and they climbed up onto the lowest one, sitting so they could see the water and the commotion up the beach. She said, "I need to finish helping Matilda deal with the artifacts."

"I know." Dean said, putting his arms around her shoulders. "How did that go today? She seemed a bit...well, distracted."

Casey laughed, "I'm just glad Bennett wasn't there when Matilda first caught sight of Sam. But once she got past his height, and muscles, and hair, and…"

"Enough, enough." Dean shuddered, "I don't need to hear this."

"She actually is very intelligent and focused on her job. Matilda was raised on this island and actually helped get the museum founded. They'd had a very small historical society for many years, but interest had waned."

"History isn't as flashy as Hollywood makes it." Dean nodded, gaze on the crowd. A few people were spreading blankets out on the sand, facing the ocean. He said, "Of course, this is a bit flashy."

Casey said, "A ghost ship, or a ghost anything, does tend to pique people's interest."

"You think we're going to see anything?"

"I don't know." Casey said, glancing out at the whitecaps. "Maybe. It could be all hype, but if anyone around here knows better than to write off ghost stories, it should be us."

Dean's jaw tightened. He'd already been thinking it, trying to deny it, but there it was on the table. Casey thought there was a chance something was going on here too. This was _so_ not the way he'd wanted this trip to go. They hadn't even been on the island for 24 hours and they were sitting on a beach waiting to see if a ghost ship was going to appear.  
Casey's voice broke into his thoughts. She leaned closer into his embrace and said, "You were already thinking that, weren't you?"

Begrudgingly, Dean said, "Yes. Bennett had a weird feeling about this place from the start."

"Demons?" Casey straightened up in alarm.

"No. She just said it felt freaky."

"And you thought so too."

"Yeah."

"You weren't going to say anything?" Casey stared up at him, not really in accusation, just in inquiry. Lightning split the sky, giving her a good glimpse of Dean's worried expression. "You thought something was up and you were keeping it to yourself?"

Dean straightened a bit and said, "I have nothing hard and fast, just a freaky feeling. And I didn't want to make a big deal of it. Because it might be nothing."

When the wind abruptly picked up and fat, heavy raindrops that felt like fingers of ice began to fall, they both exchanged a resigned glance. When a shout of excitement in the distance turned into several screams of fright, their resignation turned to knowing. And when they turned to the ocean and saw the ship on the water, flames licking up to the suddenly dark and stormy sky, they rose from the boulders as one and Dean started fumbling for his cell phone.

He never had the chance to use it. A ten foot high wave of freezing ocean water came straight at them.

* * *

"I thought you wanted a pretzel."

"I did." Bennett said, not slowing her pace, "but now I want hot chocolate." She paused at the end of a short line at a beverage tent. Looking up at Sam, she asked, "Could you please get me one?"

Sam nodded, then frowned as she immediately began to move away from him. He caught her arm and asked, "Where are you going?"

Bennett held up a pack of cigarettes, then turned tail and ran for the edge of the road before he had a chance to say anything. Because with angels and demons and the potential of flaming ghost ships, she'd gone about as long as she could bloody well manage without a cigarette. Lighting up before she'd even made it the five yards to the edge of the road, Bennett knew smoking wasn't going to solve her problems. Taking a long drag on the cigarette and sitting heavily on the trunk of an ugly brown compact car, she decided she didn't care if it was going to solve her problems or not.

It was just a good distraction.

What had seemed to be a festive event now just seemed dark and scary. The blackness and coldness of the night stole any excitement she might have felt earlier. Even the carnival-like atmosphere seemed somehow dark and foreboding. Lifting her cigarette with a shaky hand, Bennett tried to find Sam in the crowd. Only when she caught sight of him stepping up to the counter to order did her pounding heart slow a notch. She hadn't wanted to walk away from him, but she needed the space from the crowds and she _really_ needed the smoke.

Bad habit or not, it was keeping her from far worse habits she might otherwise have chosen to indulge in. Cold rain began to fall and she wished that she'd kept her pink knit hat on instead of leaving it in the Impala. She glanced up the road, wishing she could see the now comforting sight of the black muscle car. And even if the rain was making her shiver, the island was giving her the creeps and she had an unusually strong desire to pull every last strand of hair off Matilda Corprew's head, Bennett couldn't help but smile.

"You look happy." Sam said, walking up to her and offering her a Styrofoam cup. "Good cigarette?"

"Yes." Bennett grinned, taking the cup, and lifting the cigarette again. Despite the rain, she felt nothing but warmth flooding through her. Because for the first time in her life, she had a family. One that brought her hot chocolate on a cold night, one that didn't even complain when she left pink accessories on the back seat of his 1967 classic car, and one that was the best sister a girl could hope to find.

Sam raised an eyebrow and asked, "Tell the truth now; is it the cigarette or the lovely weather tonight?"

"Neither." She said, taking a sip of the hot chocolate and motioning him closer.

"So what is it?" Sam asked sitting down next to her.

"You. Dean. Casey. I've never had this before. And I'm kinda glad I do."

"I am too." He said, leaning closer. "If you ditch that cigarette, I might not be able to keep myself from kissing you."

The cigarette hit the pavement.

If it hadn't been for the hurricane force winds that started up a few moments later, they might have completely missed the Flaming Ship as it appeared on the stormy seas. They turned and stared for a moment, mesmerized by the shocking sight, then Sam was pulling her off the car and dragging her across the street. Because the ghost ship was nowhere near as frightening as the wall of water that was heading straight for them.

* * *

 **Well. That could certainly be a problem. :) Thanks for reading! Stay tuned...more to come!**


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

"Echo?"

"Dean? You alright?" Casey asked, her fingers digging into Dean's biceps as she looked up at him. He looked fine; she was fine. The split second before that wave had been about to hit them, she'd almost panicked, but had just enough sense left to whisk them away to safety

"I'm fine." Dean said, his own strong hands tightening on her shoulders as he asked,

"What just happened? What did you…"

"I got us out of there. Your feet aren't even wet, are they?" Casey couldn't help but smile.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to relinquish her death grip on his arms. She took a step back, but didn't get any further than that because he wasn't releasing her. "Dean?"

"Where are we?"

Casey looked around and shrugged, "The other side of the island. We need to get back there."

"I know. What the heck just happened?"

"I think assuming we're having unseasonably bad weather would be a rather optimistic assumption at this point, right?" Casey asked, taking his hand.

Dean shook his head, "All I wanted was a beach and a…."

"I know what you wanted." Casey cut him off, rolling her eyes, "Ok, get ready."

"Can you aim us somewhere that the ocean isn't swallowing people?"

"I'll try to get us somewhere halfway safe. You find Sam and Bennett and I'll try to fish people out of the ocean. Ready?"

"Go."

And then they were far from the peaceful west side of the island and back at the scene of what looked like a disaster movie. Casey felt a bit overwhelmed as she stared at the mess, then Dean leaned down and said, "My feet are wet."

She couldn't help but laugh despite the turmoil around them. Slapping him on the arm, Casey said, "You're going to get a lot wetter before this is over. Go find them."

"Be careful." Dean said, pulling his cell phone out.

"You too." Casey said, then found herself pulled into his embrace.

Giving her a kiss, Dean said, "Seriously, Echo, be careful."

"I will. Promise."

* * *

"Sam!"

"Stay put!" Sam shouted, "Keep everybody back."

"Fine. Don't drown!" Bennett shouted, annoyance warring with the worry in her voice.

Sam nodded, then took off back toward the beach. They'd made it across the street before the wave had hit the line of cars. Looking at the beach, Sam couldn't help but assume that the very thing Dean had been worried about in the first place had actually happened; something supernatural was going on and they were right in the middle of it. The slight amusement he felt at that thought didn't do anything to reduce the worry that was coursing through him. Bennett was safe, but he had no idea where Dean or Casey were and the last he'd seen of them, they'd been heading _toward_ the water.

The frigid ocean water was almost up to his knees even now and people were struggling to wade through the water and the debris. All the tents, chairs and other items people had set up on the shore were now floating hazards and hampering the efforts to escape. Even as he desperately looked around for his brother and Casey, Sam focused on pulling people to their feet and guiding them back to the safety of the road. In the darkness and rain, people were struggling to even orient themselves as to which direction they should head. Sam helped a middle-aged man to his feet and turned around, trying to point him to the road. And then he grinned because he caught sight of Bennett standing on the hood of a car. She was waving a huge flashlight. Just like a lighthouse in a storm.

"Head that way." Sam shouted over the din of the waves and the wind, pointing the man toward the waving light. Turning back around, he tripped over something and fell forward into the water. Not that he really got any wetter than he'd already been, he started pushing himself upright, irritated nonetheless. Then he realized he could feel something soft under the surface of the water.

Leaning back down, he pulled on the body and breathed a sigh of relief when the teenager began coughing and gasping for breath. It took a minute to get the kid steady on his feet in the knee deep waters, but by the time he'd pushed him toward the road, Sam felt his phone vibrating in his pocket and he pulled it out, not even able to make out the caller ID in the rain.

"Sam?"

"Dean?"

"Where are you?"

Sam could barely hear his brother's voice over the storm and the static in the line. He grabbed a struggling woman and held her up until another woman came alongside and guided her away. Sam said, "I'm on the beach. Where are you?"

"At the road. I found your girlfriend."

Since he could barely hear anything and the situation was less than ideal, Sam chose not to comment on Dean's terminology. He just said, "Are you and Casey ok?"

"Casey's out there somewhere pulling people from the drink." Dean shouted over the wind, "Are you seeing that?"

Sam turned back toward the ocean and his eyes widened. He said, "I'm seeing it."

It would have been hard to miss. The Flaming Ship was still flaming and still sailing along on the violent seas. In all honesty, it was exactly what he'd imagined it to be; a three masted sailing ship with vivid flames licking all the way up the sails. But it was actually a lot more terrifying in reality than it had ever been in his imagination. And the worst part was, he knew he wasn't imagining it when he thought he could see faces on that ship.

Ghostly faces.

"Sam!"

"What?"

"Get back here."

"In a minute, there's people out here…"

"Casey's got them!" Dean shouted again, this time for emphasis, "Just get back here. Now."

Sam spun around, searching uselessly in the dark. The intensity of the storm did not seem to be lessening and he was having more difficulty staying on his feet between the wind and the waves. In all honesty, he didn't even see any more people in the water. If there was anyone still out in the mess, Casey was truly their only hope at this point.

"Sam?" Dean called again, the poor reception crackling and hissing, breaking up his words, "Get….here...am? ...hear?"

"Dean?" Sam shook his head as the call dropped. Shoving the phone into his pocket, he turned his back on the eerie sight of the flaming ship and headed toward the shining light.

* * *

Dean cursed when the line went dead. It hadn't taken him more than a couple minutes after Casey had dropped him off at the edge of the road before he'd found Bennett. Which had been good. Then he'd realized he was missing one little brother and things were less good. He couldn't see anything in the heavy rain and darkness and making brief contact with Sam over the phone had done a little to ease his worries. A little. Not enough, though.

Because he still couldn't see Sam and losing the connection left him without a means to continue to harangue his brother about getting to safety.

"Dean?"

He looked up at Bennett and she was frantically pointing somewhere to the left, flashing the light in that direction. Dean stepped closer and asked, "What?"

"There's a...a person." Bennett frowned. "A person trapped by that rock. Those rocks! Dean!"

"I see it! Stay put."

"Everyone is always saying that to me!" Bennett shouted, actually stomping a foot on the hood of the car as he struggled to walk past the car.

"Because it's good advice. _Stay put_!" Dean shook a finger up at her before he took off into the darkness toward the struggling form. Bennett was pointing her flashlight in the direction he was heading and Dean was grateful for that and for whoever had given her the powerful beam in the first place.

The farther he walked from the so-called safety of the line of cars, the deeper and more vicious the waters became. The road, thankfully, had been up a decent incline from the beach which was giving people someplace safe to escape to. The beach itself, though, was nothing more than an extension of the ocean by now. The water was well past his knees and Dean was struggling more than he wanted to admit just to stay upright. There was a stiff undertow and, coupled with the debris and the numbing cold, the situation was about as bad as it could get.

 _Never think that_ , Dean chastised himself, his eyes automatically drifting to the only other light he could see. The Flaming Ship. It was still there, lighting the ocean with a blood red glow. Dean looked away, back to the flailing arms he could see just above the water line. The ship would have to wait. By now, he could barely even make out the glow from Bennett's light, but at least he could see movement.

"Help!"

"On the way!" Dean shouted back to the victim.

He was almost there when his feet went out from under him and he went beneath the water. There had been no time to prepare and the little residual breath he'd had in his lungs was knocked out instantly by the frigid chill of the water. The water hadn't even been that deep, Dean thought, struggling to right himself. Deep or not, the current was swift and the undertow strong enough to keep him disoriented. Something hard hit his shoulder, spinning him in the opposite direction, then he felt his face scraping along the sandy shore. Putting his hands down, he started to push himself up, but something else knocked into his hip and he was spinning again and lost track of which way was up.

And then, suddenly, he _was_ up. Sputtering and choking, coughing up icy water, Dean felt himself pulled out of the ocean. Familiar arms were around his chest, holding him upright as he tried to get his feet steady on the sandy ground under him. Pushing away, he turned and gripped Sam's left arm to hold himself up as he sucked in a deep breath.

"You ok?" Sam shouted over the wind, head close and his hands automatically gripping Dean's shoulders. As if he were afraid he couldn't stay on his feet.

Dean nodded, stumbled, and realized Sam was probably wise. The water was almost to his waist. He grimaced, shaking with the cold and said, "Good timing."

Sam grinned briefly, then said, "Let's get out of here."

"Not yet." Dean pointed, then realized he had no idea where he was. "Someone was trapped…."

"Where?" Sam asked, looking around, but still not releasing Dean's shoulders.

"I don't know."

"That's specific."

Dean glared at him, then realized he couldn't see the Flaming Ship. Or Bennett's light. They were completely in darkness. He looked up at Sam and said, "This could be a problem."

* * *

Bennett had fully intended to stay put.

Given that two people had told her to do so, it seemed like the thing to do. But then she'd watched in horror as Dean vanished beneath the water. And she just couldn't stay put after that. Turning to the right, she saw flashing lights and knew the rescue efforts were beginning in earnest. There were more flashlights showing up and people who looked like they knew what they were doing were helping the confused survivors. None of that was going to help Dean or the person trapped by the rocks. She looked back out to the darkness, hoping to see Dean on his feet by the trapped person, but all she saw was rain and waves and a whole lot of nothing.

Jumping down from the hood of the car, she found herself in ankle deep water that grew deeper with every step forward she took. Pointing the flashlight in the direction she'd last seen Dean, Bennett waded out into the water. She couldn't see Dean, but she could still see the frantically waving arms of the trapped person. And from what she could see, the water was almost over that person's head.

Breaking into a run, not an easy thing on sand, and far less easy in thigh deep ocean waves, Bennett put her arms out for balance and kept the light trained on the drowning person, all the while praying to see Dean. By the time she reached the victim, she still hadn't seen Dean, but when the waves went over the young man's face, Bennett knew she had to focus.

"Hang on!" She shouted, clinging to the flashlight with her left hand while trying to pull the person up with her free hand. It was useless. He was trapped.

Panic suddenly gripped her. The water was beating at her and she could barely stand up. How was she ever going to be able to help this guy? She looked at his flailing hands and grabbed one, giving it a hard squeeze. He didn't want to let go, but she tore her hand away and took a deep breath, diving under the freezing water, flashlight making barely a dent in the dark water. But she could just make out his predicament; a large piece of driftwood, almost a log, was jammed against the rocks, pinning him where he sat.

She caught a glimpse of his terrified face as she surfaced for another deep breath, and steeled herself to do whatever it took to get that log off of him.

* * *

Casey smiled to herself thinking about the stories people were going to be telling around the breakfast tables in the morning. Ghost ships and giant waves and mysterious rescues from the deep. She concentrated for a moment, trying to sense if there were any more victims in the waters. It had been less than ten minutes since she'd left Dean on the shore and she'd lost count of how many people she'd dropped off safely up the road. She'd heard sirens in the distance and knew rescuers were coming.

After a pause, she realized she couldn't sense any more people in the water near her. She'd staked out the very edge of the beach where the wave had hit the most unsuspecting people. Up the beach, people had been able to mostly help each other away from the ocean. Feeling hopeful that no one had died, Casey was about to take herself instantly back to the edge of the road, then she realized she could sense a presence in the water. Turning, she immediately transported herself to the struggling twosome who were heading in the completely wrong direction.

"Guys!" She shouted over the waves, appearing in front of them, and smiling up at the towering forms who both looked completely shocked to see her. Putting her hands on her hips, she asked, "Are you _trying_ to go out to sea?"

Apparently missing the humor in the situation, perhaps because he was half frozen, Dean glared at her and said, "It's a little dark out here for us mere mortals."

"Want a lift?" She smirked, feeling a little bad when she realized his teeth were chattering.

"That would be great." Sam smiled, his hand still tightly clinging to Dean's arm.

Casey nodded, touched their arms and they were instantly on the beach. At which point, both men began turning in circles with growing worry in their eyes. Casey frowned, "What's wrong?"

"This is it, isn't it?" Dean asked Sam, walking a full circle around an ugly brown car.

"Yes." Sam nodded, paling and turning back toward the ocean.

Casey caught his arm and said, "What is going on?"

"Bennett was right here…" Dean answered, copying his brother's action and heading back to the water, "She was supposed to…."

Casey cut him off, "I'll find her." She waved a hand in their direction and said firmly, "Stay put!"

And then she was in the water, easily and immediately sensing Bennett in the foaming waves. At her side in an instant, Casey took in the situation in a heartbeat. The guy was trapped, his hands limply floating in the water, his face under the waves and Bennett was shoving with all her might against a huge log. Casey pulled Bennett up at the same time she moved the log aside. She reached down for the unconscious man and touched his forehead as she pulled him above the water.

The guy started coughing and struggling to his feet. He was fine. Casey kept a hand on his arm and looked back at Bennett. She asked, "You ok?"

"Dean! Casey! He was…" Bennett said desperately.

"It's ok, I found him. They're both fine, hon." Casey said quickly, then asked, again, "How about you?"

Bennett grinned and gave her a thumbs up. She said hoarsely, "I'm really glad you showed up when you did."

"Me too." Casey smiled, "How about we get out of here?"

"Love that plan." Bennett nodded.

* * *

" _Stay put?"_ Dean complained. Not for the first time. "I can't believe she told us to _stay put_."

Sam just ignored him, the slight amusement he felt at his brother's annoyance somewhat dimmed by the worry he felt not knowing where Bennett was. Even if Casey were out there looking for her, he still was worried. And then, he wasn't worried any more because Casey was in front of them and Bennett was right next to her. The breath rushed out of him at the sight of her and he quickly pulled her into his arms. She was shaking with the cold, but she was fine. Holding her close, he saw the relief in Dean's eyes as he swept Casey into his arms too.

"Um. Thanks."

Everyone turned to look at the bedraggled man that had been with Casey and Bennett. Casey smiled, pulling away slightly from Dean and said, "You're welcome."

The guy waved a hand awkwardly, then turned and hurried off into the darkness. Dean glanced down at Casey and asked, "Who was that?"

"The guy we rescued."

"The guy _you_ were supposed to rescue." Bennett added, voice muffled because she had her face buried against Sam's chest as she spoke.

Dean shot her a mildly annoyed look and said, "Sorry. Decided to go swimming on the way."

Casey groaned and leaned against him more heavily, mumbling, "Can we not go swimming for a long time."

"What about Florida?"

Sam grinned at the plaintive and distinct _whine_ in his brother's voice. Casey looked like she was about to say something, but she was shivering too hard and leaning even more against Dean with every passing second. She looked wiped out and Sam decided it was time for all of them to get out of the cold. He said, "How about we head back to the car? I think we've done all we can out here tonight."

"Good plan." Dean nodded, already helping Casey along the road in the direction where they'd left the Impala.

By now, the area was a scene of mass chaos and well lit with high-power beams from the rescue squads. Flashing lights and rescue vehicles were everywhere along with masses of half-frozen and confused people. Sam was glad they'd been some of the last people to come to the beach because they'd parked well up the road from the chaos. Even so, it didn't take him long to realize that Dean's night was about to get worse.

Because the traffic was a complete jam. As far as he could tell, nothing was moving. He could hear Dean's indecipherable mumbling from behind them, but the amusement he felt faded a bit when he thought about how tired Casey had looked. It faded even more when Bennett's icy hands found their way under his shirt and against his skin.

"Hey. What are you doing?" He looked down at her.

"You're warm. I'm freezing." Her face was still pressed against his jacket and he could feel her shaking with the cold. "Body heat. You know? Survival skill."

Sam smiled and tried to walk faster. Finally he saw the Impala and he almost broke into a run toward it. Heat. Glorious heat on high sounded perfect at the moment. Reaching the passenger side door, he paused, remembering they'd locked it earlier. Waiting not exactly patiently for his brother and Casey, Sam looked up hopefully when Dean stopped at the driver's side and fumbled for his keys in his pockets.

All of his pockets.

It was probably only the presence of the ladies that held his brother's cursing back to a more PG rated rant. Dean looked up at him over the roof of the car, face pale in the darkness as he said, "Lost the keys."

"What?" Sam said, not sure he'd heard him right over the wind. Surely he'd heard him wrong? Never in their lives could he remember Dean ever losing the keys.

"Lost the keys." Dean repeated, turning back the way they'd come. He looked absolutely distraught when he said, "Probably when I went under the water…"

Sam heard Casey sigh, caught her eye roll and then she was gone. Dean thumped his fists against the roof of the car, then lowered his head to pound it against the car too. But Casey was back in almost an instant and her hand was between his head and the car. She pushed his head up and handed him the keys.

"Heat. Deano, lots of heat." She said, leaning into his arms.

Dean nodded, still looking put out and got the car opened. In less than thirty seconds, they'd all arranged themselves in the front seat; Casey hugging Dean while Bennett was leaning forward and hugging the dashboard and completely blocking any heat from reaching Sam.

At least her icy hands weren't on his skin any more, Sam consoled himself, pulling his coat more tightly closed. Didn't really matter much since they were all soaked to the skin from the rain and waves. He couldn't wait to get back to the cottage; a desire he kept to himself since it didn't look like they were going to be getting there anytime soon.

Dean's annoyance and muttering were becoming louder and more pronounced with every inch forward they didn't move. The traffic was a solid line of red taillights as far as he could see. And with every red taillight he could see, he could almost feel Dean's blood pressure going up another point.

They inched forward a whole three inches and everyone jerked forward when Dean slammed the brakes on with more enthusiasm than was probably strictly necessary. Casey slapped him on the arm and said, "Dean. Take it easy."

"I'm taking it easy." He growled, slamming a hand on the steering wheel.

Casey just laughed, then said, "Just take a breath. I know this isn't going exactly the way you wanted…"

"Ghost ships. Tsunamis, swimming in an ice cold ocean, no bikinis and now I'm sitting in traffic." Dean listed off, "This isn't even _close_ to how I wanted. And I'm going to take this opportunity right this minute to say I told you so. Like I started to say a long time ago. The crap is flying. And I suggested a nice long vacation. But no, no, no. Everyone wanted to come here."

Sam exchanged a glance with Casey and tried not to laugh.

"Just wanted a break. Just a nice, warm, vacation." Dean was continuing to mumble half under his breath as he pressed the gas pedal and the brake in a rapidly alternating pattern that had them all flying forward and then back into the seat when traffic stopped or inched forward. "But here we are. On a case."

Casey rolled her eyes at Sam and said, "So when we get back to the cottage, I'm thinking a hot cup of tea."

"Hot chocolate!" Bennett piped up.

Dean glared at the car ahead of them, slammed the brakes yet again, and muttered, "Hot toddy."

* * *

 _Cottage_

Casey was relieved when they finally pulled up in front of the little cottage. The drive had been long, tense, and cold. Dean's mood had not improved, in no small part to the fact he'd started sneezing long before they'd even managed to get up to five miles per hour. They'd had a brief discussion regarding the fact that there was clearly a case on the island and Casey had to admit the fact that her own mission in coming to the island was probably linked to whatever was going on with the Flaming Ship. Whether Matilda Corprew had actually been cataloguing artifacts from the true Flaming Ship or not still remained to be seen. But it was too much of a coincidence to believe that the wreckage wasn't connected to what had just happened.

As soon as Dean was out of the car, she was running for the door and then inside and straight for the shower. It was probably the fastest shower in her entire life, but since there were only two showers, she figured she probably shouldn't take _all_ the hot water. Dressed in Dean's warmest flannel and her favorite PJ bottoms and wrapping a towel around her wet hair, she walked back into the living room and found herself confronted by three stunned faces.

"Wow." Sam said.

"What?" Casey asked, wondering why they all looked so flabbergasted.

Bennett grinned, "That was amazing! We _just_ walked in the door, Casey. You already took a shower?"

"Um. Yeah." She smiled a bit self-consciously. She stood awkwardly in front of them, fingers playing with the hem of Dean's oversized shirt. "I just didn't want to use all the hot water. If we all get sick, I'll probably heal the fastest."

"And that ladies and Sam, is why my girlfriend is the best," Dean smiled and pushed past them. He kissed the top of Casey's head as he walked by her, dropping the gear on his way to the bathroom, before closing the door behind him.

Shaking her head Casey laughed, "I don't think he's going to be as considerate."

"Doubt it," Sam agreed. He tugged Bennett further into the cottage before asking, "Do you want to take the other one first?"

Bennett hadn't really been paying attention because her teeth were still chattering. She nodded vaguely and stumbled off to the other bathroom; every step leaving a wet footprint on the floor behind her. Once she'd left the room, Sam sat down heavily in the closest chair and met Casey's gaze. He said, "Dean's right you know?"

Casey looked around for a good place to sit while she talked to Sam but there weren't a lot of options in the small space. The couch was still covered with some of their gear and the other chairs seemed too far away. Shrugging she sat down in the middle of the room, on the floor and asked, "Not that we're going to tell him that anytime soon, but what was he right about this time?"

"All of this and how it was a bad idea," Sam supplied, slouching further into the chair and apparently not in the slightest bothered by the fact he was getting a perfectly good armchair completely soaked.

"Blame Yvette," Casey shrugged again. She laid down on her back, eyes staring blankly up at the ceiling, "I'm going to."

"There are other chairs you know?" Sam chuckled, then suggested helpfully, "There's even a couch."

"And yet here I am, laying on the floor because I'm too exhausted to move to one of those options," Casey snarked.

"Casey?" Sam straightened, worry instantly lighting his eyes, "Are you okay?"

"Peachy."

He narrowed his eyes, trying to gauge the truth in her statement, "Really?"

"Yes. Maybe," Casey admitted. She took a deep breath and continued, "A lot of crap has happened in the last not a lot of time and I was really hoping we would catch a break here, ya know?"

"I know," Sam sighed. "It's been a busy month."

"When Yvette called, I honestly didn't think it would be anything more than a job." Casey said, staring up at the ceiling. "I didn't. I just wanted to do something to help the museum out after everything that happened. And I thought maybe it would be a good thing. For Dean and me."

"So we finish this up." Sam said confidently, "There's clearly something going on here. We clean it up, you help Matilda out and then you and Dean go to Florida. Ok? You guys deserve a vacation."

Casey lifted her head just a bit from the floor and studied him for a long moment, then sank back against the carpet. She said, "We're not the only ones who deserve a vacation. You and Bennett should come too. Or go on your own vacation. But you need to do something fun."

"After we deal with this. Then I'll think about fun." Sam said, leaning his head against the back of the chair. "Do you think Matilda is involved?"

"You had to go there, didn't you?" Casey groaned, shaking her head. "I've been wondering about that myself. She just seemed so nice…"

"She seemed…" Sam shuddered, "grabby."

Casey laughed, "Which is why neither of you buff boys are going back with me tomorrow. I'm not fighting her off all day while she tries to make a move on one or both of you." She heard footsteps approaching and looked over her shoulder and smiled up at Dean. "Hey you."

"Why the hell are you on the floor?" Dean asked, looking directly down at her with confused eyes.

"The chair was too far away and the couch looked at me funny," Casey yawned from her place in the middle of the floor.

Dean rolled his eyes and stepped over her, nodding in the direction of the bathroom. He said, "Your turn Sammy."

"Is there any hot water left?" Sam asked warily.

"Do I look like the water heater man?" Dean asked irritably. "But I can still hear the water running in the other bathroom so if there _is_ any hot water left, you better hurry before your girlfriend uses it all up."

Sam sighed, exhaustion dragging at his bones, and made his way to the bathroom.

Dean looked over at Casey again, "Are you planning on getting up anytime soon?"

"Nope."

Dean rolled his eyes at her, not that she could see him, and laid down next to her.

Casey huffed and sat up. Getting to her feet she walked towards the kitchen.

"Really?" Dean called out in disbelief, "Now you get up?"

"Food," Casey said simply.

"Of course," Dean chuckled. He continued to stare at the ceiling for a few minutes, until he realized it was too quiet. After a few minutes, he sat up and looked into the kitchen. "Echo?"

He had to laugh at the sight of his girl. Casey was standing in the kitchen, her forehead resting on the counter, arms hanging limply at her sides. The cupboard above her head was open but she made no move to take anything from it.

"How's it going over there?" He asked.

"Why are the bowls so high? I just wanted some cereal," she whined.

Dean reached over her head and pulled down one of the bowls. He then grabbed a box of cereal from the top of the cabin's refrigerator and pulled out the milk. Casey stayed where she was while Dean moved around her and made her a snack. Tapping a spoon against the counter next to her ear, he said, "Here."

Casey slowly lifted her head from the counter and smiled at Dean. Leaning against his shoulder, took the bowl from him and said, "My hero."

"So are we going to talk about how you're doing or are we ignoring all of the poofing you did today?" Dean looked down at her.

"Poofing?" Casey raised an eyebrow.

"Yes poofing. You got a better term for it?"

"No."

"So we gonna talk or are we ignoring it?"

"I was just gonna ignore it and go to sleep," Casey replied simply.

"Echo," Dean whispered and tilted her chin up to meet his eyes.

Casey set her half eaten bowl of cereal down on the counter and turned to face Dean. She wrapped her arms around his neck and said "I'm okay. I'm really tired and still a little cold, but I'm okay."

Dean opened his mouth to say something but Casey cut him off with a kiss. He pulled her closer to him, deepening the kiss. Dean grabbed Casey's hips and lifted her up. She instinctively wrapped her legs around him.

"Really? In the kitchen?" Sam interrupted.

"Of all the times for you to take a super fast shower." Dean groaned against Casey's lips but didn't set her down.

"There wasn't any hot water left." Sam shrugged, annoyance and amusement in his eyes. "I thought I'd…"

"Not now little brother. I'm taking care of my woman." Dean said, walking out of the kitchen.

Casey rolled her eyes but kept kissing Dean; clutching his shoulders to keep herself steady in his arms. This was the safest and most at ease she had felt in a very long time. The cereal was forgotten and as Dean kicked the bedroom door closed behind them, she realized she wasn't even that hungry after all.

* * *

Sam had been planning on hot beverages and a round table discussion to plan their next move, but apparently that was not going to happen. Not that he could exactly blame them; Casey had done a lot of work out there rescuing people and Dean's stress level seemed to be reaching the breaking point. After the past few weeks, he was beginning to feel the strain too. And this little trip, coming so closely on the heels of their defeat of Pestis and their more recent battle with demons and angels was not exactly shaping up to be the break they all needed.

Deciding to spend some time researching the island, he grabbed his laptop on the way back through the living room. Heading toward the other bedroom, he was surprised to see Bennett heading for the back door. Hurrying to catch up with her, he caught sight of the cigarettes in her hand and called out, "Bennett, wait."

She paused, hair messy and dripping and her red sweater clashing with her pink sweat pants in the worst way. There was anxiety bordering on panic in her eyes as she asked, "Why?"

"Because you're still shivering and you're not going back outside in that storm." He said, catching her hand. "What are you doing?"

"I need to go out. Just for a minute. I'll be quick…" She said, pulling away and running for the door.

He hesitated, watching her pull the door open and disappear into the darkness. Maybe they were all hovering too much. Maybe she really did need her space. A million conflicting and very unhelpful thoughts ran through his head before he pushed them aside and followed her out the door. Under the relative shelter of the back porch, Bennett was frantically trying to light her cigarette.

"Bennett."

She looked up at him and the panic wasn't getting any better. He stepped forward and closed his hands around hers, leaning down and asking, "What's going on?"

"I just need a cigarette."

"It's more than that." Sam shook his head, "Are you alright?"

Bennett stopped trying to pull her hands away from his and shook her head, "I'm just trying to do something normal. Trying to figure this out."

She'd lost him, but he wasn't going to be thrown off track. Sam said, "Talk to me. You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"I know." She took a shaky breath, visibly pulling herself together.

"Ok." Sam smiled and waited.

After a few seconds, she grinned up at him and said, "It would be easier if I could smoke while I talk."

He didn't really want to let her, but the desperation in her eyes despite the smile convinced him. So he let go of her hands and said, "Fine. A quick one then we're going back inside. Because it's freezing out here and next time _I'm_ taking the first shower."

Bennett laughed and nodded, quickly lighting her cigarette. Her smile faded as she said, "I don't know which is worse. Smoking or painting the pictures. Smoking at least makes me feel like a normal person. Like a human."  
Sam frowned, "You're painting pictures?"

Almost guiltily she nodded and said, "All the time. Mostly. Sometimes it's better. When I'm with you it's better. But tonight," She shivered and not from the cold, "tonight it was really hard."

"You were scared."

"Try terrified!" Bennett laughed, then shook her head, "I haven't got all of this figured out you know? You guys kill monsters. Ghosts. I didn't even know they were real before. And Casey's an angel. That's a lot to deal with all at once. Especially when I have to deal with my past and these freaky powers I've got."

"I know." Sam nodded, sensing how overwhelmed she was.

"I honestly was hoping, like Dean, that this was going to be…" She sighed, "a normal trip. Nothing weird. But it's weird, isn't it?"

"It's weird. I wish it wasn't, but obviously something is going on here."

Bennett sighed, "I know. And I know you have to take care of it. That it's what you do. And I thought I could too. But now...I'm not sure."

Sam's heart skipped a beat, but he just waited for her to continue.

"I can't control any of this. There's never been anything in my life I could control."

"I don't think there's much in anyone's life that they can control." Sam said gently.

Bennett considered his words, then smiled, "You're right. I know I'm worrying too much…."

"Hey, it's ok. You think _we're_ not worried?" Sam rolled his eyes. "Have you seen my brother lately? You think you're worrying? Dean's taking it to new levels."

"Well, he's got a good reason to worry. Casey…"

"You think he's the only one with a good reason to worry?" Sam asked softly.

"I don't know what I think, Sam." She sighed, "I barely even know who I am. I'm named after a town that I popped up from a grave in. And my only ID is a fake FBI badge that doesn't even have _that_ fake name on it. And the only way I keep myself from completely freaking out at any given moment is either to smoke a cigarette or paint myself a picture with my evil powers that also make me want to freak out." Bennett tilted her head and raised her eyebrows at him as she added, "Do you see my dilemma?"

Sam couldn't help but smile. He said, "I see your dilemma. And here's what I think. I think it's too cold and miserable out here to deal with all of this. It's also late. We're tired. Finish that cigarette and let's call it a night. We get some sleep and you and I go on a date tomorrow. Nothing weird. Just our own mini-vacation."

"But what about…"

"Casey's going to meet with Matilda Corprew," Sam said, amused when he caught the

narrowing of Bennett's eyes at the mention of the museum curator, "and Dean can handle a bit of the investigation in town. He won't like having to do the research, but he knows how to do it. You and I will find a nice restaurant or something and talk. And not about ghosts."

"Really?" Bennett smiled, the worry finally fading from her eyes.

"Yes. Deal?"

"Deal." She said, quickly stomping out the cigarette and taking his hand as they walked back into the cottage. He led her to the second bedroom and before he could say goodnight, she pointed at the laptop and said, "If I can't smoke, the laptop stays in the other room."

Sam hesitated, but realized there might be better ways for him to spend his time than staying up all night researching the case.

He left the laptop on the floor in the hall.

* * *

 **Hope you are enjoying! Thank you for reading. Next chapter should be up tomorrow most likely. :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

 _Afternoon  
_ _Ocracoke Museum_

When Dean had dropped her off at the Ocracoke Museum just after nine am, Casey had expected a long day of dealing with the cataloguing and organizing of various artifacts. She hadn't expected Matilda to excitedly proclaim that they needed to head to the beach. Now, standing back in the museum, hours later, Casey couldn't deny that she wasn't just as excited as the other woman. Getting her hands dirty on the beach, digging up scattered wreckage while Gary Darvill took his boat out and dredged up even more items had been a good way to spend the day. It had almost made her forget about the events of the prior evening.

She hadn't been foolish enough to _not_ consider the possibility that the trip to Ocracoke would lead them into some sort of trouble. The island was home to a ghost ship, after all. Even so, Casey had been hoping that nothing would happen and she could just do her job and then enjoy some much needed time off with Dean. Stretching her neck, she felt the tension creeping up on her again. They'd been through so much recently and Dean wasn't the only one who was ready for a break.

"Casey, could you come take a look at this?" Matilda's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Sure." Casey nodded, trying to focus on the situation at hand. Dean was out there doing the investigating on the island. They'd discussed it all over breakfast and decided to divide and conquer. Her assignment: do her job and try to figure out if there was anything in the wreckage that could be causing the ghost ship to appear.

Now, hours later, she had helped Matilda catalogue endless artifacts that had washed up on the beach after the storm, but she had yet to make any progress on whether or not the wreckage had anything to do with the flaming ship making off schedule appearances. Glancing at her watch, Casey resigned herself to another hour before she could politely leave and meet up with everyone else for dinner. Lifting an elaborate necklace from the wooden box Matilda presented to her, Casey hoped he was having more luck than she was.

* * *

"Can we get one of these?"

Sam could barely hear Bennett's voice from where he stood in front of the microwave in the little kitchen. Opening the door, he called out absently, "Probably."

Waiting for the popcorn to pop, he heard Bennett continue, "I don't want a big one. Just a little one, OK?"

"Sure."

"Sam?"

"Hm?"

"What would we feed it?"

Sam frowned, realizing maybe he shouldn't have been so quick to agree to whatever she wanted to get. The popcorn started popping loudly and he couldn't make out whatever else Bennett was saying, but he knew he needed to be more careful about what he said yes to in the future. Grabbing a couple bottles of beer and the bag of popcorn, he headed back down the hallway to the bedroom.

"Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Maybe we shouldn't get one after all."

"Why not?"

"Because they chew on stuff and Dean probably wouldn't like it if it chewed on the seats in the Impala."

Sam smiled, seeing her still curled up under the covers with his laptop on a pillow in front of her. She looked up with a mildly confused expression on her face. He flopped down next to her and offered her a beer, asking, "What are you looking at?"

"Puppies." Bennett said, showing him a picture of a Beagle.

Nodding slowly, he said, "Yeah, I'm not sure that Dean will go for a puppy."

"I'd probably kill it anyway." Bennett said, clicking the webpage closed as she reached one hand out for her beer and the other for a handful of popcorn.

Sam studied her cautiously and asked, "Why would you…"

"Because I had a plant once." Bennett grinned, "It was a cactus and I killed it. I'm pretty sure I'm not qualified to keep anything alive."

"You kept us alive in Chicago." Sam smiled, "So I think you'd do just fine." He leaned on his right elbow, his head near her left shoulder as he peered at the open window on the laptop. "Where did our movie go?"

"Minimized."

"Why? What are you looking at?"

"The news."

"Why?"

Bennett smiled a bit guiltily and said, "After last night...I just was curious."

Nodding, Sam reached for a handful of popcorn as he said, "Find anything interesting?"

"Well, no one was seriously injured and no one was killed."

"That's good."

Bennett nodded, "There isn't much else actually. Just a discussion about the bad weather and a sentence about the ghost ship."

"Thought we were leaving all this up to Dean and Casey today." Sam smiled, even as he leaned closer to read the article.

"I know. And it's been nice all day," Bennett said, pointing at the screen, "but I couldn't help it. Look at what that guy said, ' _The ghost ship never caused this before.'_ What do you suppose he meant?"

"The weather? Maybe he thinks the weather was caused by the ghost ship?"

"Maybe." Bennett shrugged. She flopped backwards onto the pillows and stared at the ceiling. "And maybe not."

Sam studied her curiously. He set the laptop aside and asked, "What's up?"

"Well."

"Well?"

Bennett looked at him and he could see that she was both excited and nervous about something. After another pause, she finally sat up and leaned close enough that she could whisper, "I don't think we're alone."

Sam's eyes widened as he took in her statement. He asked softly, "What do you mean?"

"I think maybe one of them got off the boat last night."

"One of them?"

Bennett's breath tickled his ear as she said, "A ghost."

Sam sat back and immediately glanced around the room, ready to head for the weapons as he asked, "Why do you think that?"

"Either it was a ghost, or some stoned woman in Middle Ages clothes just walked through this room a few minutes ago."

"Middle Ages? The ship sank in the..."

Bennett glared at him, "I don't know. I'm not the historian. They were old clothes, ok? Like from a movie or something. She looked like she was from a history book."

Sam nodded, motioning for her to get up, "What did she do?"

"Nothing. Like I said, she looked stoned. Out of it." Bennett said, climbing off the bed. "She just appeared by the window and walked across the room and disappeared."

"Put your shoes on, ok? I'm gonna call Dean." Sam said, already pulling his EMF detector out of his duffle bag. He turned back and asked, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Bennett shrugged, "At first I thought I was crazy. Most of the time when people say they've seen a ghost, other people think they're nuts" She grinned and added, "But then I realized who I'm with and that a ghost isn't out of the ordinary for you."

"Not really, no." Sam said with a grin.

"Ghosts. But no puppies." Bennett looked up at him as she pulled her boots on. She looked a bit disappointed, but not nearly as much as he'd expected. Standing up, she put her pink knit cap on and smiled. "I guess I can manage with that."

"Yeah?"

"As long as I get to keep you."

Sam grinned, "Deal."

* * *

Dean hunched his shoulders against the miserable rain and sneezed. Then coughed. Then cursed. Wrapping his arms around himself, he practically ran the last ten feet to the Impala, bemoaning the fact that he was going to get his Baby soaked. Again. She'd barely had time to dry out from the previous night. The awful storm seemed to have blown over, but the waves were high, the beach half its original size and the rain were still pelting down unstopped. This was not normal. Not that anyone was in a position to disagree with him at this point.

Slamming the door, he immediately turned the engine on and cranked the heat up to high. And sneezed again. He was _not_ getting sick. This whole mess was bad enough without him catching a freakin' cold on top of it. He glared at the ocean and fumbled for his phone while turning the windshield wipers on. The day had been one long exercise in annoyance and a complete waste of time.

The cops didn't know much. No one had been killed or seriously injured the previous evening, which was good. But they were saying it was some kind of a freak storm. The people he'd talked to in town, random residents and many tourists, all stating that either they had been on the beach the previous evening and seen the ship, or they'd been in town and hadn't seen anything odd except for the freak storm.

Even Gary Darvill, the opportunistic boat tour guide, had been less than helpful. The weather had been too bad to take his boat out today, so he'd been holed up in his shabby little office overlooking the boat docks. Darvill had been easy to talk to, but mentioned only one thing that seemed of significance. He said that he thought the ghost ship appearing out of season was directly related to the recent odd weather they'd been experiencing...and he correlated the beginning of all of it to the first day he'd discovered wreckage washing up on shore nearly two weeks ago. Which was enough to convince Dean that Casey's nice, innocent museum job was somehow very connected to the crazy.

"Hey." He said as soon as Casey picked up, "How's it going?"

"I'm ready to eat." Casey whispered conspiratorially. "Are you coming to pick me up or do I need to poof?"

Dean rolled his eyes and got the car into drive. He said, "Hold your horses, I'm about ten minutes from you. You get anything good from your day of work?"

"Not exactly. You?"

"Maybe. But not much."

"Alright, well, I'll be waiting for you. You gonna call Sam?"

"Wasn't planning on it. He seemed pretty insistent on having the day to themselves." Dean smiled, thinking about his conversation earlier with his brother. "Even told me he'd clean the car if I'd leave him alone."

Casey laughed and said, "Ok then. I'll be waiting."

"I'll be right there." Dean said. He'd barely hung the phone up when he heard the phone ring. Glancing at the caller ID, he was surprised to see it was Sam. Shrugging as he settled back into his seat and headed for the museum, he answered, "Don't tell me she dumped you. What did you do this time?"

"Dean, we need to talk."

"Sam?" Dean sat up a bit straighter, hearing the no-nonsense tone in his brother's voice. "What's up?"

"Where's Casey?"

"I'm about to pick her up."

"Good. Meet us for dinner?"

"Um. Ok. Your date going that badly?"

Sam snorted, "The date's been fine, dude. It's the ghosts that aren't."

Dean groaned, "What?"

"Just meet us at _Dajio,_ ok? We can talk then."

"Day-jo what?"

"It's a restaurant in town. Ask Casey. She'll find it."

"I don't like this. I _told_ you all that something like this was going to happen. I wanted to go to Florida."

"Dean?"

"What?" Dean muttered, not amused by the amusement he could hear in Sam's voice now.

"You gonna let that go, man?"

"Not until someone acknowledges that I was right." Dean said, hearing Sam trying to smother his snicker.

Sam said, "Ok. You were right. Happy?"

"I'm just plain jovial, Sam."

* * *

 _Dajio, evening  
_ _Ocracoke, NC_

"And he didn't say anything else about what was going on?" Casey asked over her now empty cup of coffee. Dean shook his head and she asked, "Are they ok?"

"Apparently. Sam said not to worry, just that they needed to talk," Dean waved a hand.

"Good." Casey said, stealing a sip of his coffee. The waitress needed to come back soon with another pot. Taking a quick glance around but not seeing the waitress, Casey sighed and took another bite of her salad.

Dean raised an eyebrow, giving her a disgusted look as he stared at the lettuce hanging half out of her mouth. She chewed it quickly and shook her head, waving the fork at him. She said, "Say one word and I will break your nose."

Dean decided he preferred his nose unbroken, Dean shrugged and reached for his burger; a huge smile on his face. He nodded and wiggled his eyebrows at her when he took a bite. Casey rolled her eyes, then her thoughts wandered back to their present situation. She said, "This is just getting too crazy, Dean. And yes, ok, you were right."

Dean grinned, deciding he deserved to enjoy every single second of being right.

Casey glared at him without much heat and said, "We've got a ghost ship which I fully concede is very likely linked to the artifacts and wreckage that I'm helping to catalogue. And then there was the storm last night."

Dean shrugged and reached for his burger. He said, "Better yet, we've got whatever Sam and Bennett want to add to the mix."

It wasn't too much longer before the door to the restaurant opened and they saw Sam and Bennett walk inside. Waving, Casey stood up and slid around the table so she was sitting next to Dean. Pulling her plate around the table, she smiled as Bennett slid into the booth, hand automatically reaching out for Dean's fries. Dean glared at her and yanked his plate closer to himself. Casey elbowed him in the ribs and he begrudgingly shoved his plate back toward Bennett.

"How's the coffee?" Sam asked, ignoring the drama and eyeing the remaining half cup on the table, then looking hopefully for a waitress.

"Caffeinated." Casey said, her expression telling him clearly that the caffenation was the only selling point of the coffee.

"Sounds good to me." Sam smiled.

"So. Enough with the mystery. What kind of trouble did you two get into?" Dean asked, reaching for his cup only to find it in Bennett's hand as she drained it. Shooting her another glare, he joined Sam in looking longingly for the waitress and her pot of coffee. "

"Ghosts." Bennett said quietly, but not as quietly as Dean would have preferred. Her eyes were wide as she stole another fry and said, "I saw a real ghost! I've never seen a ghost before."

Dean shook his head, exchanging an amused glance with Casey. He couldn't deny that there wasn't a part of him that was actually kind of stoked to see Bennett taking a ghost encounter in stride. And then there was the other part that was anxious to hear what exactly had happened. Before he could say anything, though, the waitress walked toward them with the coffee pot in her hand. She said, "Coffee all around?"

"Please." Sam nodded, trying not to sound desperate.

She then took their orders and Dean pointed at Bennett and added, "Extra fries with hers."

As soon as the waitress walked off, Casey asked, "Tell us what happened."

"I saw a ghost."

Casey was a lot more patient than Dean would have been. She put a hand on his arm to calm him while she smiled and asked, "Where did you see the ghost, Bennett?"

"At the cottage." Bennett explained, "She just walked through the bedroom."

"Sam?" Casey's gaze moved to him.

"I was in the kitchen." He shrugged, "I didn't see anything."

"Cold spots? EMF?" Dean asked.

Sam shook his head, "Nothing."

"Cold spots?" Bennett repeated, then said, "It _was_ kind of cold when the ghost walked through."

Dean nodded, "Alright. Sounds like the cottage is haunted…"

"Not necessarily." Sam shook his head, "It could be something else."

"Such as?" Dean asked.

"She looked like she was from an old movie." Bennett said, pausing when the waitress brought their food, then she quickly reached for the ketchup and filled half the plate with it. She slid it closer to Dean.

Casey frowned, "What do you mean she looked like she was from an old movie?"

"She was dressed old fashioned."

"You said she looked like she was from the Middle Ages." Sam said.

Bennett frowned, "I know. But I don't know if that's right. She just looked old."

"Can you describe her?" Casey asked, "It might help me pin down a few more details on the ghost if you could tell me anything more about her."

"I'm not sure...um, her dress was blue." Bennett said around a mouthful of burger.

Dean tried to hide his smile and saw Sam doing the same behind his coffee cup. Casey smiled nicely and said, "That's not...is there anything else you can tell me about her? Can you describe her clothes?"

Bennett shook her head, "I don't know. I don't really know that much about how to describe clothes, I guess. I'm sorry."

"It's ok." Casey said exchanging glances with Sam and Dean. For a moment, they were all silent, considering the situation, then she asked, "What if you paint a picture for me? Could you recreate the scene?"

"I've never tried that before," Bennett said, frowning. "Maybe. I could try."

Casey smiled, "Good. Give it a shot. If I can see the woman, it would help me figure out what time period the ghost was from. Which could be helpful in tracking her down."

Bennett nodded and closed her eyes. Dean watched her carefully, then turned his attention to Casey after a moment. She was staring off into the near distance, obviously seeing something they weren't and Dean almost wanted to ask Bennett to include them all, but decided against it remembering how much her talent tended to give his brother a headache.

"Creepy." He said under his breath, meeting Sam's gaze.

"We can hear you." Bennett said, a slight smile on her face.

"Well you both look like you're spaced out on acid or something." Dean muttered, grabbing a fry and rolling his eyes at Sam.

Sam just shook his head and said, "Dean. Leave them alone."

"Alright alright." He shook his head, waving at the ceiling, "Place needs big screen TVs or something to liven it up."

"Wow." Casey said, sitting back, "That was amazing, B."

"Really?" Bennett asked, looking uncertain. "It worked?"

Casey nodded, leaning forward, excitement radiating from her as she spoke, "It worked great. This could come in handy! You have an amazing talent."

Dean wasn't sure if Bennett looked happy or terrified at Casey's praise, but he decided he needed to refocus the moment. He asked, "Casey, could you figure anything out about the ghost?"

"Yes." Casey nodded, "She wasn't from the Middle Ages, but you were right, Bennett, she was definitely old. Her clothes and hair style were consistent with the time period that the Flaming Ship is rumored to have been from."

"Meaning…" Sam said, hesitating for a split second before leaning closer and saying, "she's _from_ the ship?"

"Oh that's just peachy." Dean said, the feeling of dread that had been stalking him since Casey had first mentioned the island starting to claw through his skull. He said, "So we've got a ghost from the ship on the island?"

"That's what I'm thinking." Casey said and there was no hiding the excitement in her eyes. "What if somehow she materialized on the island after the wreckage came up?"

Sam nodded, "We need to figure out what she's linked to."

Dean couldn't help but roll his eyes as he said, "Because that's all there is going to be to this. Destroy the object and happily ever do I not think it's going to be that simple?"

"Because it's not going to be that simple." Sam said, leaning back and settling his arm around Bennett's shoulders as he said, "One ghost shouldn't be able to cause the weather disturbance, and I can't believe that the weather isn't linked to whatever's going on here. And, on the other hand, if it _is_ that ghost…"

"Then she's extremely powerful." Dean finished, already knowing exactly what his brother was thinking.

"She seemed nice." Bennett shrugged, grabbing her last fry with a downtrodden expression on her face.

Dean wasn't sure if she was more sad about the ghost or the fry. He shook his head and asked, "So. What's next on the agenda for this _nice safe little trip to a small island where I'll be assisting with the examination and cataloging of nice, safe artifacts from a 200 year old shipwreck?"_ He pinned Casey with a meaningful look as he repeated her words from the other day. "Any thoughts?"

Casey narrowed her eyes but didn't rise to the bait. She just said, "I'm meeting Matilda at a bar tonight. See if I can learn anything else from her. It could be nothing, but she is involved with bringing up the wreckage. Which links her, even tangentially, to the case."

"We could head back to the beach," Sam suggested before Dean had the chance to complain about Casey's evening plans. He went on, "give us a chance to see if that ship comes back…"

"Or if there's another hurricane." Dean said, even less pleased with Sam's plan. But he had a feeling that it made sense.

"I don't want to go to the beach again." Bennett said, folding her arms across her chest and looking at Casey, "Can I come with you?"

"Sure." Casey nodded, although Dean thought she seemed a little wary of letting Bennett anywhere near Matilda Corprew.

He couldn't blame her. But he couldn't blame Bennett for not wanting to go back to the beach either, so he nodded and just said, "Fine. Great. Love this. If this trip were turning out anywhere near the way _I_ had been led to believe it would go, we'd all be settling back in front of a good movie tonight. But fine, fine, I'll go sit on the cold beach with my _brother_ ," he glared at Casey, "while you two go have drinks with the crazy museum lady who may or may not be involved with all of this mayhem."

"Crazy museum lady? Me or Matilda?" Casey raised an eyebrow.

"Mayhem?" Sam narrowed his eyes.

"Shut up." Dean shot at Sam. He turned to Casey and answered "And I haven't decided yet." He threw his hands up in the air in annoyance, scanning the diner for their waitress.

Casey just laughed and said, "Besides, you boys wouldn't really fit in. According to Matilda, it's ladies night at the local pub."

"Fine. Go to the bar. We'll go to the beach." Dean said, still far from happy as he waved at the waitress and added, "But I'm having pie first."

* * *

 **Well nothing too bad happened in this chapter. All's good from here right? Just a night out at the beach for the boys and a girls night at the pub for Casey and Bennett. Nothing could possibly go wrong...**


	12. Chapter 12

**Ladies night at the pub. An evening on the beach. Surely nothing can go wrong...**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 12**

 _1123 PM  
_ _Wooden Nickel Pub  
_ _Ocracoke, NC_

"Must have been fun to grow up living on an island." Casey said, sipping her beer. She wasn't the least bit buzzed, even if she was letting Matilda Corprew think she was. It paid to be in complete control.

Matilda laughed, "If you consider living on an island fun. You know how often I would have killed for a mall?"

Casey nodded, "Oh I get it. I grew up in farm country. Nothing for miles and miles."

"I guess I'd rather be surrounded by the ocean than corn." Matilda shrugged, downing another shot. The woman was past buzzed and quickly approaching drunk. "It's not a bad life. Only one I've ever known. My family has been living on the island for...well, for centuries."

"Wow." Casey gushed, with enthusiasm she didn't really feel. She said, "That's amazing! I'm sure you know all the greatest places for romantic picnics."

"Absolutely. You wanna have a picnic?" Matilda grinned, "Which one's yours?"

"What?" Casey frowned.

"Which one of those handsome men is yours? The history buff, or the…" Matilda hiccuped, then sighed, "the other buff one?"

Casey smiled, actually finding herself glad that Bennett had made herself scarce shortly after arriving at the bar. She said, "The other buff one is mine."

"How'd'you get 'em?" Matilda slurred.

"Long story." Casey said simply. She did _not_ have any desire to tell Matilda the details so she just said, "We met at work." Which was sort of true, she mused, sipping her drink and feeling a little sorry for the museum curator. She added, "He's probably holed up with a pizza and some Schwarzenegger movie right about now." _More like sitting on the beach trying to kill a monster_ , Casey smiled. "We're on a little vacation."

Matilda tipped her glass in a toast, "Congrats. Lots of great hideaways I can tell you 'bout."

"You have a special someone?" Casey asked, knowing Matilda was sloshed enough to tell her just about anything she wanted to know.

"No." Matilda shook her head, "Not in a while. Too busy with work. Look, I'll draw you a map with the best places to take your man."

"Ok, but just make sure they aren't any of the haunted places." Casey giggled, hating herself for acting so stupid. _Playing a role, playing a role_ , she chided herself. If Matilda needed a tipsy, giggly girlfriend to spill some details to, then Casey would be tipsy and giggly.

Matilda shook her head, "Oh, no. I'll steer you clear. Because, I don't care what people say, this island _is_ haunted. Cursed."

"Really?" Casey leaned forward and lowered her voice conspiratorially, "My granny always said that ghosts were real." _Of course, Granny BeaBea had also taught me how to gank a ghost when I was just a kid_. Casey asked, "Why do you say the island is cursed?"

"Because ever since that ship sank," Matilda said, words slurring and her eyes nearly crossing. "Bad things have happened here. And things have only gotten worse lately with that ship showing up out of season."

Casey frowned, "But earlier, you said you didn't really believe in the ghost ship…"

Matilda nodded, "I know. And I don't. Exactly." She frowned, blinking blearily at Casey as she said, "But with everything that's been happening lately...after last night… I'm finding it hard to ignore all of it. People have always talked about the ship. Have always said the island's haunted. Trust me, I'm basically the historian of this creepy little island. I know just about everything that's happened here in the past three hundred years."

As Matilda launched into the tale of the flaming ship, Casey casually glanced around the pub. She and Bennett had hung together for awhile, then when Matilda had shown up, Bennett had turned and walked away without a word. Her dislike of the museum curator both amused and worried Casey. So ever since, Casey had been trying to keep Matilda talking while also keeping an eye on Bennett.

Casey finally caught sight of her up near the stage. Bennett was surrounded by the members of the band while they took a break between their sets. Eyes wide and innocent, Bennett was flirting with the only guys in the entire room, save the bartender. And Casey had already seen her scoring free drinks from the burly barkeep. Feeling a slight twist of concern in her gut, Casey wondered if she shouldn't go make sure Bennett wasn't getting in over her head. Apparently she wasn't exactly a lightweight, but she'd been drinking steadily since they'd arrived.

Just about to interrupt Matilda, Casey glanced up and Bennett was looking straight at her. Whatever she'd just said had the band members laughing. Bennett smiled and winked at Casey, giving her a quick, subtle thumbs up. Casey nodded and smiled.

She was fine.

* * *

 _0105  
_ _Ocracoke Beach_

"Man, this sucks."

Sam rubbed his hands together and shook his head, "You said that. A few _thousand_ times already."

"Well it does suck."

"At least it's not raining anymore."

Dean glared at the sky. It was still cold. And damp. And miserable.

"I could have done this by myself. You could have gone with Casey and Bennett."

"Ladies Night." Dean muttered as if it were a dirty word. He shook his head, stood up and brushed his jeans off. _For the thousandth time._ He looked around then shoved his hands in his pockets and said, "I hate beaches."

"Yeah, they aren't exactly my cup of tea either, you know." Sam smacked Dean's leg when he showered sand all over him. "Get away from me when you do that."

Dean purposefully brushed a little more sand Sam's way, then groaned, "Maybe we should just call it a night. Do you think?" he asked hopefully, sitting down again and grimacing at the cold sand. He smiled, "Maybe we can catch up with the girls. I don't care if it _is_ Ladies Night. They're _our_ ladies…"

Sam snorted, "I'm not sure Casey would appreciate that. Little bit possessive, don't you think?"

"Whatever." Dean leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and staring at the quiet beach. "The monster ship isn't going to appear. Nothing's happened all night. Nothing's going to happen."

"Are you _trying_ to jinx us?" Sam countered, glancing at his watch. "We're not going anywhere until after two, Dean. You said the sheriff said the latest the ship had ever appeared was by 2 AM. I am not going back fifty-five minutes early because you don't like the sand and then find out the ship appeared after we bailed."

"Fine, fine." Dean reached into the weapon's bag and pulled out a candy bar. He glared out at the ocean waves, then glanced at Sam. Who was grinning. Lowering the candy bar, Dean asked, "Why are you smiling like that? Something funny about us sitting out here like a couple of complete fools?"

Sam tried to wipe the smile from his face and said, "Nothing's funny."

"Uh huh." Dean shifted in the sand and said, "Spit it out. You look too happy. Either you've been holding out on me and that's beer in your thermos or things with Bennett have been going _really_ well. Either talk about whatever's on your mind or I'm going to tell ghost stories." This time he grinned and said, "I have a couple of really good ones, too."

"Dude, I know every ghost story you could possibly tell." Sam rolled his eyes. "I was there for most of them."

"So?"

"I'm just glad you and Casey seem to have worked out your...issues." Sam said with a shrug, reaching for a granola bar. "It wasn't exactly fun to see you to at each other's throats all the time."

Dean nodded, staring back out at the waves. He muttered, "Tell me about it. Crazy to think that running into her jerk of an ex-boyfriend would be what it took to get us straightened out."

"So you _are_ straightened out?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow, "No more shouting matches?"

"Oh, I wouldn't count on that one, Sammy." Dean said, settling back against a tree with a smile. "I'm pretty sure we're still going to have shouting matches from time to time. But we're good." He took another bite of his candy bar, then slapped Sam on the shoulder, "You and Bennett seem to have worked a few things out too."

Sam just smiled.

Dean went on, "I guess you two weren't disappointed to stay home all day today."

"It was kind of nice, actually."

"I bet it was." Dean smirked, earning himself a dirty look from Sam before he continued and asked, "Are we still calling it complicated or…"

"Oh, it's complicated." Sam said, thinking back to the previous night. He smiled, "And it's probably going to get more complicated. I kind of asked her to marry me."

Dean nearly choked on his candy bar. He coughed until he had tears in his eyes, the grin on his brothers face aggravating the peace out of him while he did so. Finally able to suck in a breath, he sat up and took a few deep breaths. Sam just stared at him, eyebrows raised and a smile on his face.

Eyes watering and throat sore, Dean grimaced and asked, "When were you planning to tell me?"

"We haven't gotten around to invitations or anything." Sam shrugged, probably enjoying his brother's distress more than was strictly necessary. "It's not like it's been a month, Dean. It just happened."

Dean shook his head, mind still reeling. He ignored the sand that seeped into his boot as he turned to face Sam. For a long moment, he just stared at him, evaluating, looking to see if his leg was being pulled. He asked, "When?"

"The other night. After Casey got back."

"Tell me you didn't ask her to marry you while you were at the truck stop, Sammy." Dean said, horrified. He might never have even come close to marriage in his life, but even _he_ knew a truck stop was about as lame as it could get.

Sam grinned, "No it was before we went to eat." He shook his head, eyes on the ocean and Dean could see that he was happy. _Really_ happy. Sam said, "It...just happened."

"Yeah. Cuz proposing to a girl just happens." Dean rolled his eyes. "You sap. Did you get down on one knee when you asked for her hand in marriage?"

"Not exactly."

"What did you say?" Dean asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"I asked her if she wanted to make breakfast with me." Sam shrugged, "Forever. She said yes."

Dean wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. It was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard, but somehow it actually sounded kind of cute. And given how happy Sam looked, he decided just to roll his eyes and say, "You're a regular Romeo there, Sammy."

"Haha." Sam said in annoyance. Then he looked a bit nervous and asked, "You don't think I'm crazy?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Dean said, then added, "But seriously. Good for you. I'm happy for you two."

"I know it's only been like a month…"

"Yeah and for someone who wouldn't even call her a girlfriend a few days ago," Dean shook his head, "look at you, all spur of the moment. Thought you were more of a planner."

"I thought so too. But that night, after everything that had just happened," Sam said, resting his elbows on his knees as he looked at Dean, "it just seemed like the right thing to do. We don't know how much time we've got, Dean. And I lost Jess before…"

He broke off and Dean held his breath, but Sam went on, "I just didn't want to lose Bennett too."

"Good plan." Dean nodded. He smiled and said, "You better have another good plan for how you two are going to break the news to Casey. Cuz she's gonna be pissed she wasn't the first to know, you realize?"

Sam smiled then asked, "So what about you?"

"What about me?"

"You ever think about…"

"All the time." Dean said, surprising them both. At Sam's intent stare, he had to look away, but he said, "But I'm going to need to put a bit more thought into it."

"Her birthday is coming up in a few months…" Sam offered with an innocent smile.

Dean rolled his eyes, "Dude. Don't rush me. We are _so_ not having a double wedding." He shuddered dramatically. Then, because the situation could so easily have become a chick-flick moment, he added, "I have to say I approve of Bennett a lot more than I did…"

"Don't say it…" Sam glared, instantly knowing where Dean was going with this.

"Becky." Dean grinned.

"That's it." Sam punched him in the shoulder, "I'll stay here with the guns. You go out there and be ghost bait."

Dean just laughed, "Don't be such a baby."

* * *

 _0110  
_ _Wooden Nickel Pub  
_ _Ocracoke, NC_

Bennett took her shot, then stepped away from the pool table, letting Dover Wayde, a very handsy guitarists take his turn. The rest of the band members were hovering drunkenly nearby. Bennett nibbled a pretzel and looked around for Casey. She finally caught sight of her friend, sitting up at the bar with Matilda. Knowing she was being childish, Bennett couldn't help but be glad she didn't have to sit there and be friendly to the woman. The way Matilda had been all over Sam had done nothing but annoy her. It wasn't that she felt threatened by Matilda, she just was beyond irritated at being ignored by the woman. Watching Casey laugh at something the other woman had said, Bennett gently elbowed the guitarist to keep him from pawing her butt again. Sliding away from the guy, she tried to catch Casey's eye.

But Casey was deeply engrossed in conversation with the curator. Matilda was scribbling on yet another napkin. She'd been doing that a lot. Giving Casey directions, most likely. Bennett chewed her lip and began to wish she'd gone with Sam and Dean. There really wasn't much point in her being here. Even if Matilda hadn't been so rude to her, Bennett knew nothing about museums or ships or history. She couldn't help Casey and she felt suddenly lonely.

But then Bennett felt the guitarist's hand on her backside again and she quickly scooted around the table, careful to let the pool stick smack Handsy in a tender place as she took her next turn. Just as she was lining up her shot, though, avoiding Handsy became the least of her concerns when the front door of the bar blew open and all hell broke loose around them.

She didn't even see what initially happened, just the aftereffects of the chaos. People were running in every direction, making it practically impossible to tell what they were running from; or who was running in the right direction. The screams were deafening and overwhelming. Trying to move forward, Bennett caught a glimpse of a woman, covered in blood and slash marks stumbling into a table and dropping to the floor dead. Frantically, Bennett looked for Casey but couldn't see her in the mess. The lights were flickering and the room was shaking as panicked people pushed and shoved and flesh was torn from bone.

Pushing a sobbing woman down behind the bar, Bennett caught a quick glance of Casey, her angel blade already readied as she searched for the threat. Starting to move toward her friend, Bennett was knocked into the wall and lost sight of Casey. But she did catch a glimpse of what was slashing up the unfortunate ladies of ladies night.

Across the room, she caught a glimpse of a man who looked like he'd stepped off the set of a pirate movie. The sword in his hand went through a blonde woman; instantly silencing her frantic screams. And then he was gone. Disappeared as if he'd been an illusion. Only to appear again a few feet nearer to her as he raised his sword again.

Breath frozen in her throat, for an eternity-long moment Bennett couldn't move, couldn't do anything but stare at the mess. Everywhere she looked, she could see people being attacked...by _ghosts_. _You really aren't very quick sometimes, are you,_ Bennett thought to herself, coming to grips with what was actually happening. So much for one ghost politely ambling through her bedroom. This was an ambush. And these ghosts were anything but polite.

Shaking herself out of her daze, Bennett forced herself to focus and pushed a woman with blood on her face toward the back door. About to guide someone else out, she felt herself grabbed from behind. Kicking, she fought to get away, but the guitarist was stronger than she was and hauled her out the side door with a flood of terrified people.

"What are you doing?" Bennett shouted, kicking him in the shin and pushing him away.

"Saving your life!" The guy's eyes were crossed and his words were slurred and he was already grabbing for whatever body part was closest, a lecherous smirk on his face, but he was trying to be a hero.

"Thanks. Now run for _your_ life!" Bennett shouted, shoving him away and turning back, trying to get through the press of people to get into the bar again. But it was like fighting a losing battle as people continued to rush out of the bar.

Frustrated, and trying to fight through the press, Bennett saw a young woman go down on her hands and knees. She was covered in blood and people were tripping over her. Reaching down, Bennett pulled her up and dragged her away down the alley. The girl was struggling to stay on her feet and Bennett heard renewed screams behind her. Hurrying even faster, Bennett followed a group of people down another street and then turned down another alley. She heard gunshots somewhere behind them so she didn't slow down, even though she knew she was getting lost and farther away from the bar and Casey.

Frantically searching in the darkness of the street, Bennett felt the girl's sticky warm blood on her own hands and knew they had to get somewhere safe. Fast. Looking up the street ahead, Bennett gasped. There were people running back towards her and she could see why. Three ghosts were coming toward her.

A chill ran up her spine at the sight of the machine guns in their hands. They were wearing grey uniforms that she couldn't identify. And they were all shouting in a foreign language. People were rushing past her and she tried to pull the girl backwards, but she was almost dead weight by now. She knew she needed to get everyone to safety.

Before she could do anything, though, the ghosts lowered their machine guns and prepared to fire.

* * *

 _0117  
_ _Ocracoke Beach_

Dean was finding that he could ignore the sand and cold so much better now that he could hassle Sam about Becky. That just never got old. He was planning his next line when Sam sat up straighter and smacked Dean on the arm. Dean glared at him, then reached for his shotgun at the warning look on Sam's face. Sam pointed up the beach. They got to their feet at the same time and Dean saw it. A guy stumbling across the sand. They could hear him singing a very off key and drunken cover of Twisted Sister's _We're Not Gonna Take It._

Dean grinned and whispered, "Someone just got fired."

Sam shook his head, eyes roving the beach.

"What?" Dean asked, leaning forward and looking around. "You hear something? Besides Twisted Mister there?"

"No."

Dean nodded, and sat back, "Well I'm not the drunk patrol. Free country. Man wants to serenade the seashells, man can do so."

Sam didn't look like he agreed. He said, "Dean, the beach is supposed to be closed after what happened here last night."

"We're here, aren't we?"

"He's not safe." Sam said, standing up. "We need to get him away from the water before something happens."

"What?" Dean rolled his eyes, getting to his feet. "Fine, fine, fine. Ruin a man's midnight stroll…."

Sam had taken exactly one step forward when the drunk's serenade was cut off mid-chorus. And not because he was taking a drink from the bottle in his hand. He stopped singing because something tore his head off. Something invisible.

"Whoa!" Dean exclaimed, jerking backwards. "What the…."

"Ghost?" Sam said, shotgun raised, staring into the darkness at the spot where the unfortunate drunk was being devoured. "It's invisible."

"I can see that." Dean said, then smiled briefly at Sam. "I mean, I can't see that. Whatever."

Sam was heading toward an outcropping of rocks, holding his breath as he stared at the dead man in the sand. Dean was at his shoulder and they pressed back against the rocks, waiting. For a moment, they were still, then the rain started. Dean shook his head, glaring at Sam as if it were his fault. And then he was following Sam's gaze as he stared out at the water. Dean cursed.

The Flaming Ship was sailing again.

"Dean, someone else is out there." Sam drew his attention away from the nightmarish sight. He pointed up the beach where they could just make out a second shape. A human shape.

Dean swore under his breath, "Tourist. Gonna get himself killed. Looks like he's got a rifle. What's he gonna do with that? Big hero."

"Apparently." Sam nodded. "We need to get him out of here."

"Yep." Dean said, stepping forward, then freezing as his phone vibrated in his pocket. He said, "Split up. I'll go parallel to the water; come up behind the invisible man. If he's still there. You get the hero out of the way."

He glanced up at the beach. It was weird that the ghost was remaining completely invisible. Weird and annoying because that just made it so much harder. Dean glanced over at the other man up the beach; whoever the guy was, he had paused a good distance from the scene of the carnage. Dean motioned to Sam to move and they split up. He stole a quick glance at his phone.

Casey.

They had agreed not to call unless it was an absolute emergency. Otherwise they were just meeting back at the cottage. Dean's heart rate doubled and he flipped the phone open.

"Echo?" He whispered, running across the beach and hoping that he wasn't going to get swept off his feet by a tidal wave. Or get his head ripped off by a ghost. Sam had stayed closer to the treeline and was now moving forward toward the guy up the beach. "What's going on?"

"Dean…" Her voice sounded strained.

It was hard to hear her voice over the screams in the background. Dean clenched his fist and asked, "Are you ok? What's happening?"

"It was...an attack." The reception flickered in and out. "...didn't see...but there was…."

"Was what?"

"More than one." Casey said, voice suddenly stronger. "Dean, they...people are...and I can't..."

Dean looked over at Sam and then beyond to the scene of the attack. The guy with the rifle was still walking in their direction. And there was no sign of the invisible attacker of the unfortunate drunk guy. Dean held up his shotgun and tried to concentrate on two things at once.

He asked, "Casey, are you safe?"

"I... but Dean…"

"Get somewhere safe and I'll call you in a minute; got a bit of a ghost problem at the moment." Dean said, stumbling in the sand as he ran along the water's edge.

"Dean!" Casey's voice was desperate.

He watched Sam running toward the man with the rifle. The guy turned and held the weapon in a ready stance, and Dean was afraid he was going to shoot at Sam. But then he just completely vanished. Sam held the shotgun up and turned in a complete circle, searching for the threat. Dean slowed his pace and returned his attention to Casey.

"Casey?"

"It's Bennett." Casey said, sounding more frantic than he'd ever heard her sound, "I can't find her."

"What?" Dean frowned, almost catching up to Sam. "How did…"

"I don't know…" Casey started to explain.

Dean didn't hear the rest of what she had to say because something that seemed like it weighed ten tons rammed into him from the side sending him headlong into the churning surf.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

 _0115  
_ _Wooden Nickel Pub  
_ _Ocracoke, NC_

Casey had actually started feeling just a bit tipsy as she and Matilda sat at the bar and discussed yet another of the many freakish happenings on the island. Then the screaming had started and she'd snapped back to full alert. In two seconds she had located Bennett, by the pool table, and watched as a handful of ghosts rushed into the room and began ripping throats stabbing people.

 _Pirates? Really?_

"Get to the back of the bar, get out of here." Casey said, pushing the very drunk Matilda off the stool.

The girl looked completely in shock and Casey wasn't sure she was going to do what she'd been told. But there were people dying so she just shoved Matilda again, then turned and ran toward the nearest ghost. The room was sheer chaos and Casey had to shove people out of her way in order to get to the monster. Not really caring who saw what, she pulled out her blade and shoved it through the ghost-pirate's heart. The ghost disappeared instantly although Casey knew it would be back.

It was too late for the ghost's victim, though, she found as she checked the body. Frustration filling her, Casey knew she had to stay focused. Had to save those she could. And she needed to find Bennett.

Casey looked up in time to see more ghosts heading for the back door. She ran after them, pulling her phone out as she did so. She still didn't see Bennett in the mess of people and there was no reply when she called her. Casey knew they needed back up and quickly called Dean.

"Echo?" His voice was a whisper, "What's going on?"

"Dean…" She tried to form coherent thoughts over the screams and chaos around her.

Searching for Bennett proved difficult in the mess of frightened people around her. She couldn't blame them; they couldn't even see what was ripping out their throats. The ghosts were flitting in and out of focus, but she was running her blade through any one she could reach. It wouldn't end them, but it would slow them down. Already, her mind was focusing not just on the carnage around her, but on what she needed to do next. Namely, get to the museum and destroy whatever item was holding the pirates.

Dean sounded tense the next time he spoke, "Are you ok? What's happening?"

"It was an attack, Dean." The reception flickered in and out and Casey cursed the stupid cell towers. "Ghosts. I didn't see exactly what happened, it was so fast, but there's more than one."

"Was what?"

"More than one ghost." Casey repeated, raising her voice. "Dean, they just came out of nowhere and a lot of people are dead and I can't find Bennett!"

Reception seemed to drop again, then she heard Dean ask, "Casey, are you safe?"

"I'm fine right now. But Dean…"

"Get somewhere safe and….in a minute; got a bit of a ghost problem ... moment." Dean's voice broke up.

"Dean!" Casey felt sick. Something was wrong on his end. She needed to go to him. But then she looked at the chaos and knew she couldn't leave yet. There were still ghosts everywhere she looked. And she needed to find Bennett.

"Casey?"

"It's Bennett." Casey said, running out into the back alley, "I can't find her."

"What? How did…"

"I don't know…" Casey started to explain, but then she heard the sound of something heavy apparently running into Dean. His breath expelled explosively and then Casey heard what sounded like a grunt of pain and the loud splashing of water. She screamed, "Dean!"

Hearing no answer, Casey was about to teleport straight to him when she heard someone screaming her name. Looking back inside the bar, she saw Matilda on the floor, a ghost kneeling over her. Running in their direction, Casey wasn't prepared for the ghost to grin up at her, grab Matilda and disappear.

She also wasn't prepared for the hurricane strength blast of wind that blew the front wall of the bar into the room, sending her backwards into the bar.

* * *

Sam watched in horror as Dean went flying into the water. Whatever had just pummeled into him had been invisible and even if it was a ghost, Sam wasn't planning to start firing rock salt at the ocean waves. He couldn't see Dean and he wasn't taking a chance of hitting his brother. At least getting pitched into the waves was better than the ghost lopping his head off, Sam reasoned running toward Dean. By the time he reached Dean, his brother was already pushing himself up. Buffeted by the waves and the sense-jangling blow he'd just received, Dean was struggling to get to his feet. Sam sprinted toward the water and reached down to yank his brother out of the water.

"Dean!"

Dean came up coughing and sputtering. Sam helped drag him away from the waves, hearing gunshots in the background, and Dean collapsed into the sand, spitting up ocean water. He fumbled in the sand for his phone, looking up at Sam. He asked, "You...get it?"

"No." Sam shook his head, looking up and shoving Dean back down as a rain of bullets impacted the sand next to them. They were sitting ducks. He met Dean's eyes through the rainy darkness of the storm and shouted, "We need to go."

"Now." Dean nodded, coughing and trying to get to his feet.

Sam grabbed his arm and dragged him to his feet and they took off at a desperate run for the treeline. He couldn't see anything, but he could hear the crack of a rifle in the near distance and knew better than to stop and look around. They didn't stop running until they were at the Impala. Yanking the passenger door open, he basically threw his brother at the seat before running around to the other side. Bullets sprayed the pavement at his feet and he prayed the ghost wasn't dumb enough to shoot his brother's car.

"Keys." Sam said, hand out. Dean dropped them into his hand without a word. Mostly because he was still coughing. Sam started the car up and floored it, glancing over his shoulder briefly. He frowned as he caught sight of the ghost standing on the edge of the road.

"See that?" Dean gasped out, pushing himself upright and rubbing his side.

"The ghost?"

"Did you see what he was wearing?"

"I don't know." Sam said distractedly, flipping on the wipers and trying to keep the car on the flooded road.

"It was a uniform."

"Ok. So?"

"A _Nazi_ uniform, Sam." Dean said, running a hand over his face. "The ghost was a Nazi."

"That's weird."

"It's not good is what it is."

"You think we've got more than one ghost ship out there?"

"I think we've got a bunch of ghosts from a bunch of different wrecks is what we've got." Dean said, fumbling for his phone.

"A bunch of ghosts?" Sam asked, looking at him. "What do you mean?"

Dean met his eyes grimly and said, "They also attacked town."

"What?"

"Casey said things were bad."

Sam tightened his grip on the wheel, using all his strength to hold the big car on the road.

He could still see the red glow of the ghost ship out the rear view mirror as he drove toward town. Glancing quickly at Dean, he asked, "How bad?"

"The bar was attacked." Dean said as he dialed the phone. Putting it to his ear he said, "Casey can't find Bennett."

* * *

Bennett felt the woman she was holding up stumble. Her eyes were on the ghosts though, even as she clung to the injured woman. With a deep breath, Bennett lifted a hand and concentrated on painting a picture. When they'd lowered their guns, she'd had a split second to come up with a plan. It wasn't much of a plan but if she could make the ghosts think she and the girl weren't standing right there in front of them, maybe they wouldn't fire.

Invisibility was a game more than just ghosts could play.

And it actually seemed to work! She gritted her teeth at the effort it was taking to paint the picture. The ghosts paused, lowered their guns and then just vanished. Letting the illusion drop, Bennett returned her concentration to the bleeding form she was holding up. People were screaming, shouting and running in every direction and she wanted nothing more than to join them. But she couldn't. All she could do was try to gently lower the girl to the ground, putting a shaking hand to her throat to feel for a pulse. It was there, but weakening.

She needed Casey.

Bennett straightened up and was about to head back into the bar when she heard the wind wail so loudly that she actually put her hands to her ears to block the awful noise. She crouched down behind a car and listened to what sounded like an entire building being knocked down. Debris blew into the alley and for the first time, Bennett realized it was pouring rain. She'd been far too distracted to even notice that at first.

Pushing herself to her feet, she started back down the now mostly deserted alley. Before she got far, though, a huge guy in a dark suit stepped into her path. Breath catching in her throat, Bennett hoped maybe he was someone who could help carry the bleeding girl to safety. She started to ask, but before she could get a word out, he'd punched her in the face so hard she fell backwards against the wall, sliding to the ground, barely keeping her eyes open.

It wasn't a demon. It wasn't a human. Another ghost, Bennett decided pressing a hand to her bleeding mouth. She was having trouble focusing past the pounding in her skull and the pain in her face. The ghost grinned maliciously down at her and Bennett knew there would be no reasoning with it. Gasping for breath and seeing stars, Bennett felt cold hands on her throat, but before the ghost could do anything more, she'd pulled out the salt packet she'd saved from dinner earlier. It wasn't much, but it was just enough that the ghost growled in annoyance and disappeared from in front of her.

* * *

The screams were what brought her back to awareness. And wasn't that just a fun way to wake up, Casey mused, rubbing a hand across the back of her throbbing head. Blinking in the darkness, she finally was able to make sense of the world in front of her. It was dark and the cold rain was coming down heavily in the destroyed bar. She could hear sirens in the distance and the screams up close. Pushing herself upright, she swayed for a brief moment, then recovered her balance and focus.

She didn't see any ghosts at the moment and, more alarmingly, she didn't see Matilda. It was strange, a ghost seeming to kidnap the woman. What did the ghost want with Matilda? Casey had a bad feeling it was linked to the wreckage and artifacts. They needed to find her, and get to the museum. But first, she needed to find Bennett and get ahold of Dean.

Helping the bartender up from behind the bar, Casey guided him to the front door and then heard her phone ring. She answered immediately, "Dean!"

"Echo. Where are you?"

"At the bar." She said, climbing over debris and heading to the back door. "Are you two ok?"

"Great. Headed your way. You find her?"

"Looking now."

"Ghosts?"

"Gone at the moment."

"Alright. Be careful and we'll be there as soon as we can, ok?"

"Drive safe." Casey said, hating to hang up but needing all her concentration on the task at hand. She headed out back just as her phone rang again. Glancing at the display, she was relieved to see it was Bennett. Casey answered, "Bennett, where are you?"

"Um...not sure."

Pausing at the corner of the street, Casey asked, "Are you ok?"

"More or less."

"Bennett?"

"I'm ok. I'm a little lost."

"Can you see a street sign?"

"Um…"

Casey shook her head, "Never mind, I'm coming." Concentrating on Bennett's voice, Casey focused and finally was able to visualize where she was. A split second later, Casey was standing in another alley and looking down at her friend. Bennett was sitting against the wall holding the body of a what looked like a dead woman in her lap. Casey knelt down and Bennett slowly looked up at her.

"Hey, Casey." Bennett whispered.

"Hey." Casey gently reached out and found that, as she had suspected, the woman was dead. She moved her hand up to Bennett's face. Her mouth was bloody and a bruise was forming on her jaw. Casey frowned and asked, "What happened?"

Bennett shrugged, gaze returning to the dead woman. Voice barely audible, she said, "I tried to get her safe, Casey. But she was just bleeding so…"

"It's ok. You did everything you could." Casey gently pulled the body away, lying the woman on the ground. She turned around, looking Bennett up and down, and asked, "Did someone attack you?"

"Yeah."

Casey felt anger burn through her, "What happened?"

"I had some salt from the restaurant." Bennett grinned. "Think I should probably get some more, though."

"Probably." Casey couldn't help but laugh. She touched Bennett's shoulder and said, "The boys are headed our way. How about I clean you up before you freak Sam out?"

Bennett nodded touching her lip, "That would be nice. Are you ok?"

"I'm great. Just wet and annoyed." Casey said, touching Bennett's head and healing her injuries. "Come on," she pulled her to her feet, "let's get out of the rain."

"What just happened?"

"I'm not sure." Casey said, leading the way back toward the bar. There wasn't much of it still standing, but there was a small spot where they could at least get out of the rain. "I think whatever is happening here is causing more than just the ghosts from the Flaming Ship to manifest."

Bennett frowned, stepping over a broken chair as she asked, "You think these ghosts were from other ships?"

"Yes. Some of them looked like pirates, and there was one guy that I didn't get a good look at who looked a lot more modern than a pirate."

"The guys who came after me at first had machine guns." Bennett said.

Casey turned and asked, "How did you get away from them?"

"I painted a picture." Bennett smiled, "I made them think me and that girl weren't there. Like invisible. It worked."

"That's awesome. Good plan." Casey said, pointing to the relative shelter of the broken building. She stared at Bennett and said, "We may need to use your talent again, Bennett."

"How?"

Casey looked out into the driving rain, waiting to hear the sound of the Impala as she said, "I'm not sure exactly how we're going to defeat these ghosts. There are a lot of them and it's going to be difficult to figure out what they're all linked to. But if you can create some kind of an illusion...make them see what we want them to see, protect the island, maybe we can figure out a way to get rid of them."

Bennett nodded, wrapping her arms around herself and pressing back against the wall. She said, "I'll do whatever I can."

"Good. We'll figure out a plan when we talk to the boys." Casey said, feeling nauseating worry over what might have happened to Dean. Even if he said he was fine she wasn't sure she believed him. Despite that worry, her brain was already trying to come up with a feasible plan to defeat the ghosts.

"Casey?"

"Hm?" She turned to look at Bennett, "What's up? You ok?"

"Yeah." Bennett smiled. She looked at the ground, then back up at Casey shyly. "It's a weird time to say this, but it's been so busy that...well, I just haven't had a good time to tell you with everything that's going on…"

Casey almost laughed despite the circumstances. She asked, "What are you trying to tell me, Bennett?"

"Sam kind of asked me to marry him." Bennett said, rushing on, "Well, he asked me to make breakfast with him. Forever. Which is basically a proposal and I said yes so I guess that means we're engaged?"

And this time Casey _did_ laugh. She pulled Bennett into a hug and said, "Yes, sounds like you're engaged. Congrats!"

Bennett grinned and said, "I wanted to tell you sooner but everything's been…"

"When did this happen?" Casey asked, keeping an eye out for the Impala but remaining focused on her friend's happy news. Her mind was reeling with the revelation, not that she was exactly surprised.

"The other night. Right after you got back," Bennett shivered, not from the cold, "when Sam and I were talking while you and Dean were together."

Casey's eyes widened and she asked, "Did he propose to you at the truck stop?"

"No, before." Bennett shook her head.

"Good thing." Casey rolled her eyes. "Because if he had, I probably would have punched the idiot."

For a moment, they stood there, then Casey shook her head and said, "Forget this. Let's just go meet them."

Bennett grinned and said, "Works for me."

* * *

"Hello boys."

As utterly shocked as he himself felt, Dean had to admit Sam did an admirable job of keeping the Impala on the road despite the surprising sound of a voice in the backseat. Turning around, Dean said, "Don't say that. You sound like your uncle."

"Sorry." Casey had the grace to look a bit annoyed with herself for inadvertently copying Crowley's customary greeting.

His heart slowly returning to a more normal rate, Dean said, "You couldn't have called and let us know you were coming? Just jumped into the back seat? About gave me a heart attack." A glance at the way Sam was still white-knuckling the steering wheel let Dean knew he wasn't the only one who'd been more than a little shocked by the sudden appearance of the girls in the back seat.

"We got tired of waiting." Bennett said with a shrug.

"We're just glad you're both ok." Sam said, slowing the car. He asked, "Where do we need to go?"

"Just pull over for a second, Sam." Casey said. "We need to take a second to talk and make a plan."

It took less than five minutes for them to share their experiences with each other. As a fire truck roared by, sirens wailing, Sam turned in his seat and said, "So whatever brought the Flaming Ship up is also bringing up other ghosts from other ships."

"Including Nazi ghosts." Dean said, catching Casey's disbelieving stare. He said, "When Bennett and I were on that boat tour yesterday, Darvill said there were hundreds of ships that are off the East coast."

Bennett nodded, "He called it the Graveyard of the Atlantic."

"And he said there were even Nazi U-boats that were wrecked off the coast." Dean added. "So I'm thinking we have a far bigger problem here than one cursed ship."

Sam said, "We've got a lot of angry, confused ghosts roaming this island. We need to put them down."

"How are we going to do that?" Casey asked, feeling a bit lost. She'd hunted. She'd hunted a lot in fact. This was bigger than anything she'd ever done, though, and she looked at the brothers, waiting for their input.

Dean exchanged a glance with Sam and said, "We're talking ships. Under the ocean."

"Salt water."

"Exactly."

"Never dealt with this before. Salt repels spirits. But these spirits have been soaking in salt water for ages." Sam said, frowning. "We have to find a way around that."

"Can we burn all the artifacts?" Casey offered.

Dean shrugged, "It's a place to start. But if the wreckage is only from one of the ships then it's not going to get rid of all of them."

"Why are they all coming up now?" Bennett asked, leaning forward and resting her chin on the back of the front seat.

Everyone looked at her and Casey nodded, "That's a really good question."

"Right." Dean nodded. "Ok. We need to talk to Matilda and…"

"A ghost took Matilda." Casey interjected.

"Why?" Sam frowned and Casey shrugged. Sam glanced at Dean and said, "What if Matilda knows something and the ghost figured that out. She _has_ been dealing with the artifacts."

Dean nodded and said, "Casey, can you find her?"

"I can try."

"Here's the plan." Dean said, "Casey, you take Sam back to the museum then go look for Matilda. Whatever reason that ghost had for taking her, it's nothing good. Sam, look at the stuff Matilda's got. See if there's anything that looks like it might be cursed. Get rid of everything. Whatever is there, burn it." He looked back at Casey and said, "When you find Matilda, get her to the museum and see if you can figure out if she did anything to cause this situation in the first place."

Casey nodded and asked, "What are you going to do?"

"My future sister-in-law and I are going to go look for Gary Darvill." Dean said, glancing

at Bennett and seeing her nod in agreement. "He's been pulling up wreckage, so maybe he's got something to do with this." He looked at each of them in turn as a brilliant flash of lightning split the sky. Feeling no small sense of satisfaction, Dean said, "I'm going to take this opportunity to say, I told you so. Again."

Sam groaned, Bennett nodded seriously and Casey just leaned forward for a quick kiss. She grabbed his jacket collar and said, "You were right. We all admit it. Now, how about we just deal with the crap and then get out of here. I have a bikini in my bag that I'm dying to try on."

Dean's eyes widened as she kissed him again. He heard Sam laughing and then he blinked and Sam and Casey were gone. Bennett still had her chin resting on the back of the seat but she was grinning up at him. He rolled his eyes and slid over to the driver's side. A split second later and Bennett had climbed over the front seat to land next to him.

"Dean?"

"What?" He asked a bit shortly, then took a deep breath and glanced at her, asking more nicely, "What's up?"

"Can I get a puppy?" Bennett asked with a hopeful grin.

Dean took a calming breath, turned up the volume on _Poison_ and said, "You already got my brother, kiddo. Don't push your luck."


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14**

 _0200, Gary Darvill's home  
_ _Ocracoke Island_

"Look, I'm telling you, son," Gary Darvill said, pushing his glasses up on his nose, "I'm not involved in anything. I've been bringing up wreckage, sure. That's my job. And yeah, I'm making a bit of extra cash off the tourists, but that's it! I don't know anything about summoning ghosts!"

Bennett thought he looked honest. And very shaken. She glanced at Dean and could see some of the mistrust fading from his eyes. She chewed her lip and cast a nervous glance out the window of Darvill's little house. The storm was raging beyond the walls and every once in awhile the entire house shook with the force of the wind.

Dean said, "Alright. So talk to me then. This Flaming Ship. It never used to show up out of season, right?"

"Never. For decades, people have reported seeing it." Gary said, rubbing his hands up and down his shirt as his eyes darted from the window and then back to Dean's face. "I've seen it my whole life. But only in September."

"Why is it showing up now?"

"I don't know! I don't! I swear. It just showed up and then the wreckage…"

Dean narrowed his eyes, "The ship showed up first? Then you started finding the wreckage? You're absolutely certain that's how it happened?"

Gary nodded hastily, jumping a bit as thunder boomed above them. He said, "That's right."

Bennett looked at Dean and said, "If it isn't the wreckage that's bringing the ghosts and the ship…"

"Then something caused the ship to start appearing," Dean nodded, "which then caused the wreckage to come up."

"What are you talking about?" Gary said, almost yelling.

Bennett felt sorry for the guy. They'd wakened him from a dead sleep and invaded his house asking him questions about ghosts and deep sea wreckage and Dean was clearly scaring him. Trying a gentler tact, she said, "Mr. Darvill, something very strange is going on here and we're just trying to figure it out. Anything you can tell us about the wreckage would be helpful."

Dean stared at her while Gary caught his breath and Bennett asked, "What?"

Grinning, Dean folded his arms across his chest and said, "You are so perfect for my brother, Bennett."  
Not entirely sure what he meant, she just returned her focus to Gary and said, "When did you start bringing up the wreckage?"

"The day after the Flaming Ship first appeared." Gary said shakily. "I...I was out on my boat and saw something floating in the water. After that...I just kept finding more stuff every time I went out. So I took it to Miss Corprew at the Museum. She's always been interested in the wrecks. She's always trying to do right by the history of this island."

"What do you mean by that?" Dean asked, instantly jumping at Gary's words.

Gary jumped again, this time at the force in Dean's tone. He said, "She...she's very...very into history. And she loves this island. Her family for generations back has lived here. And she's wanted to make that museum something special."

Bennett asked, "Was she happy about the stuff you brought her?"

Gary nodded, "She was happier than I've ever seen her." He wrinkled his nose and added, "Bit of a loner, that girl. Never had much of a life. Always stuck in the past. I think it was like Christmas for her, getting those artifacts. And then when I kept finding them…"  
Dean said, "She kept getting happier. Mr. Darvill, did Miss Corprew ever say anything that would make you think she was somehow involved?"

"Involved?"

"Involved in maybe bringing the wreckage up?" Dean questioned.

Gary frowned and said, "She doesn't do the recovery of the pieces…."

"That's not what he meant," Bennett explained, trying to figure out the best way to get the information they were after from the man. She asked, "Did Matilda ever say anything that would make you believe that she was doing something that caused the Flaming Ship to appear?"

The lighting flashed and illuminated the man's pale face as all the lights went out in his house. Gary's eyes widened and he said, "There was this one thing…"

"What one thing?" Dean prompted, fiddling in his coat for a flashlight.

Bennett held her breath, watching Gary closely in the bright light of the near constant flashes of lightning. He said, "Matilda did say something odd one day. She said she was going to make the island famous and if she'd known it would be so easy, she would have tried the book sooner."

"Book?" Bennett asked, "What book?"

Gary shrugged, "I don't…"

He never finished his statement because, just as a flash of lightning lit the room, a bullet tore through his head.

* * *

 _Ocracoke Museum_

"Nothing." Sam reported, coming around the corner and meeting Casey at the door of the office.

"Me neither." She said, hands on her hips. They'd arrived at the museum and quickly searched the grounds for any sign of Matilda Corprew. Lighting lit the room almost constantly now and Casey clicked off her flashlight. Sam was moving back into the main room and she followed him. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for answers." Sam said, "Looking for anything that might be causing this."

Casey nodded and handed him a logbook. "This is what Matilda was using to catalogue her findings. Nothing's been shipped out yet, but the earliest findings are already crated up in the back. If a piece of wreckage has caused all of this, it will be one of the earliest findings."

"I'll get started on that. What about you?"

"I need to find Matilda." Casey said simply. "I'll be back as soon as I can, ok?"

Sam nodded, "Just be careful."

Casey grinned, "You too. I'll be back in a minute or two."

The first thing she did was return to the bar. It was a scene of mass chaos and Casey was careful to not allow her presence to be noted by anyone. One of the perks of her angelic heredity. A split second of listening, she learned all she needed from the rescue workers. The island was on virtual lockdown. The storm was so intense that there was no way off the island and no chance of rescuers coming to the island for a good long time. Everyone was seeking shelter in the more modern buildings on the west side of the island and Casey spared a couple fractions of a second to deposit the stragglers to the shelters.

And then she was back at square one. Because she had no idea where Matilda was. For a moment, she almost called for her father, but shook her head. He was busy and she didn't even begrudge him that right now. If she'd been learning anything of late, it was that she probably needed to give her loved ones a little more trust and forgiveness. She'd also been learning that she was every bit as strong and capable as her mother had always said she was. So Casey closed her eyes and focused on the memory of Matilda Corprew.

Her eyes flashed grey and she immediately found herself standing on the deck of a Flaming Ship.

* * *

 _Ocracoke Museum_

As soon as Casey had left, Sam had turned to his task and opened the first crate. And then he paused. Because something just didn't make sense. It wasn't anything concrete. Wasn't anything but a gut feeling. He dropped the logbook and turned back to Matilda's office. Flicking his flashlight back on, he said, "Makes no sense."

He started opening drawers and cabinets, not even sure what he was looking for, just knowing it wasn't in the crates of recovered wreckage. There was a small part of his mind that was nagging at him that he shouldn't be quite so sure. _Maybe the wreckage washing up_ did _cause all of this,_ the doubting part of his mind said. Sam shook his head and wrenched open a small closet door.

"If wreckage washing up caused this, then why didn't it cause this a long time ago?" Sam said to himself, yanking boxes out and dumping them on the ground. "More likely she _did_ do something to cause this."

It was starting to make more sense the longer he thought about it. Wreckage from ships turned up on beaches all the time. He'd even read in one of the flyers Bennett had picked up along the way that there were shipwrecks you could see in the sand up the beach. Sure, maybe the wreckage from the actual Flaming Ship had somehow just started to wash up, but Sam had a feeling that it was much more likely that Matilda had been _helping_ the situation somehow. In his experience, freaky stuff like this didn't always happen on its own.

Far too often, innocent or not so innocent people had a way of assisting the process.

Almost ready to leave the office that he'd torn to shreds in less than a minute, Sam caught sight of a file folder under the large calendar on the desk. He pulled it out and shined his flashlight on it as he opened the folder. And read the letter.

"With our fondest regards, Ms. Corprew, the City of Ocracoke would like to wish you the best in your search for future employment."

Sam read through the formal letter, understanding dawning as he realized it was both a termination of her employment and an official notice that the museum would be closing. Flipping through the file folder, he found another letter. This one from the National History Museum in New York City. The letter was a rejection of her application for employment. Another letter, from the Smithsonian, regretted to inform Ms. Corprew that the few artifacts of the Ocracoke Museum would not be needed. Sam shook his head, feeling an inkling of the frustration he figured Matilda had felt reading the letters.

The last letter in the file was from Casey's museum in Chicago. It was a glowing note describing the value of the latest findings from the Ocracoke Museum. It was dated just after the Flaming Ship had been reported to be first seen out of season and Sam felt like the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place. The only thing still missing was, of course, the key piece.

"How did Matilda get the wreckage to start appearing?" Sam said, closing the folder and carefully sliding it back under the desk calendar. Having a bad feeling about some of the methods the curator might have been using, Sam looked around the museum. Where would she keep it? He still wasn't sure what _it_ was, but he had a feeling it was a charm or a book of spells. Walking back out into the main room, he decided it was probably witchcraft.

Dean was going to be thrilled.

Trying to decide the most likely place for her to hide something that powerful, Sam found himself flying backwards and through a window. Landing hard on the concrete sidewalk behind the building, he struggled for a desperate breath. The pain was localized at his shoulders and upper back, and his vision blurred as he tried to move and breathe and figure out what had happened. But he was too stunned to do any of the above.

And he sort of regretted it when he saw the ghost standing above him; her pale features twisted in hatred as she lowered an axe toward his head.

* * *

 _The Flaming Ship of Ocracoke_

Despite the urgency she felt, Casey couldn't help but pause for another fraction of a second and take in the terrifying, yet oddly beautiful sight. Flames rose from the deck beneath her feet and reached for the dark clouds and fingers of lighting above her head. The ship was something out of a movie and she thought about watching _Moby Dick_ with Granny BeaBea when she was just a kid growing up in the middle of corn and wheat fields. She'd never even seen anything bigger than a pond before they'd watched the movie and her brain had struggled to keep up with the idea of a body of water big enough for such a monstrous creature to live in….and big enough for such massive ships to sail on.

Shaking her head and marvelling at the sight, Casey still felt her skin crawl as she realized she wasn't alone on the ship. Ghosts were moving around her, oblivious to her presence. They were all dressed in the clothes she would have expected from the time period of the Flaming Ship. Moving forward, her presence still shielded from the ghosts, Casey focused on Matilda. She was here. Somewhere.

Knowing she'd only been gone from Sam for a few minutes, Casey didn't want to waste any time getting back to him. This was turning out to be much bigger than any of them had expected. The fact she was standing on a flaming ghost ship was proof enough of that. Carefully moving forward, Casey focused her attention on a quiet voice she could just make out. Frowning, she realized it was Matilda's voice, but not Matilda's mouth saying the words.

Localizing the sound, Casey found herself within the ship and staring at Matilda. Only it wasn't Matilda exactly. She'd never seen anyone possessed by a ghost, but she'd learned plenty of the lore and the dark substance dripping from Matilda's eyes, nose and mouth was definitely ectoplasm. She could hear Matilda screaming within her own mind even as her body was possessed by a vengeful spirit.

The vengeful spirit of the Flaming Ship's Captain.

* * *

 _Gary Darvill's House_

Dean heard Bennett scream at the same second he saw Gary Darvill die. Throwing himself to the right, he grabbed Bennett and dragged her to the floor. He heard the breath rush out of her, but didn't hesitate in pushing her out of the room and up against the wall of the kitchen. She was flat on the ground and he carefully dared a look back into the living room; his gun in his hands and the flashlight he'd been looking for on the floor near their feet.

A glance in the other room revealed nothing but the sight of Darvill's body on the carpet. Taking a deep breath, Dean looked back at Bennett and whispered, "You ok?"

He got a thumbs up for a reply and he nodded, slithering toward the kitchen window. Hearing her moving around behind him, he kept his eyes trained on the window and whispered over his shoulder, "Stay down."

Glancing through the window, he cursed under his breath at the sight of the storm. It had been bad before, but this was ridiculous. Branches the size of his brother were being snapped off the trees like toothpicks and, even though Darvill's house was on top of a steep rise, Dean could see the ocean waves already cresting the hill. What he _couldn't_ see, was any spirit activity.

A bullet impacted with the wall just above his head and Bennett squeaked out a fearful exclamation as she slithered toward the other end of the room. He threw himself after her, following her into the hallway. No windows. The hall opened up to the kitchen and lead down toward the bedroom and bathroom. It wasn't much but it was at least windowless.

"Is it a ghost shooting at us?" Bennett whispered, her hands shaking as she fumbled with something.

"Probably." Dean said, trying to see what she was doing. "What is that?"

Bennett held up a container of salt. She grinned and said, "Got it from his pantry."

Marvelling at how quick she was, he grinned back and said, "Good idea. But last resort, ok? These ghosts are shooting at us and that salt isn't going to go far."

"What are we going to do?"

"Get out of here for one thing." Dean said, wondering how exactly they were going to do that. He felt a chill run up his spine as he heard footsteps and voices in the living room.

Bennett's eyes were huge in the dim light afforded them in the hallway and Dean couldn't blame her. He waved her forward, a finger to his lips and she rose to a crouch and darted to the other end of the hall. Dean followed her into the bedroom and closed the door until only a crack remained. Nothing was following them. Yet. He looked around the room. Small. Not a good place to mount a defense. But with one window, it was a good place to mount a hasty retreat.

Not liking his choices, Dean kept an eye out the door and whispered, "Bennett, carefully see if you can get that window open. Just don't get your head in front of it yet ok?"

"Do you want me to try to paint them a picture?" Bennett countered, sitting just under the window, her face illuminated by the near-constant lightning strikes outside.

"You can do that?"

"I did earlier."

Dean grinned, "You just keep getting more and more interesting, Bennett."

She smiled and asked, "So you want me to try?"

A gunshot rang out in the hallway and Dean lunged away from the door. He wound up on his back next to her and he stared up at her as he said in a loud whisper, "Of course I want you to try!"

Bennett giggled and closed her eyes. Dean held his breath, gun trained on the door. But nothing came through it. After a minute, Bennett nodded and said, "I don't know who's out there, or how many of them there are. I can't sense them like demons."

"But you can make them see things?"

"I don't know how to describe it." She shrugged, "It's more like I can create this illusion around us. Maybe everyone can see it."

Dean cautiously got to his knees and said, "Alright. We're gonna hope so." He held out a hand, "Because we need to get out of here."

He pulled her to her feet and then he took a quick peek out into the hallway. Midway down the hall stood an apparition clad in clothes that he'd last seen in a war movie. A war movie about submarines. Breathing out a sigh, Dean said, "I think it's working. We've got a dude out there looks like he walked off the set of _Das Boot_ and he's standing there like he's on a good LSD trip."

Bennett smiled, "So we can go."

"Yes." Dean said, closing the door and pointing to the window. "But that way. We're closer to the driveway and I don't really want to take a chance of walking past him. You're trick is working so far, but spooks have a nasty habit of learning quickly. And all the rock salt and iron isn't going to do much more than annoy them. We need to figure out a way to take them all out."

He peered out the window, relieved to see his Baby sitting right where he'd left her. She was a long way away, though. And with the bright lightning, there wasn't much chance of them making the trip without being seen. Much as he was thrilled with Bennett's ability to hoodwink the ghost, he wasn't sure it would hold up against _all_ the ghosts.

Sliding the window open, he popped the screen out and waited for a moment. Nothing. No gunshots, no sight of anything evil. Just the driving rain. There was a low rock wall along what once had been a garden between them and the Impala. Motioning to Bennett, he waited till she joined him at the window, then pointed at the rock wall.

"Head there. Ok? We go there, then wait. If we're still in the clear, we go the rest of the way to the car." Dean said, eyes ever vigilant as he studied the surrounding area. "You're still painting your picture, right?"  
"Yes."

"Good. Keep it up." Dean said, already climbing out the window. "Come on."

A second later and they were both outside the house, crouching down below the window. Dean held his breath, but nothing happened. He said, "I'm going to go first. Wait till I'm at the wall, then I'll cover you as you come."

Bennett nodded, clutching her container of salt. Dean grinned and said, "I'm gonna get you your own shotgun for a wedding present. How's that sound?"

"Awesome!" Bennett returned his grin.

Still smiling, he took off at a run for the low wall. Almost surprised to have made it without being attacked, Dean looked back at Bennett and gave her a thumbs up. She started moving toward him and he kept his gun trained on the house in case the ghost broke free from her picture. He thought he was prepared for everything.

He was a fool.

* * *

 _The Flaming Ship of Ocracoke_

Casey sucked in a startled breath.

 _I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't know! I didn't mean for this to happen!_

Matilda's words, being screamed within her own mind, made Casey wish she could reverse time. In flashes, she saw Matilda's despair at the museum being shut down, her desire to save the museum and make the island famous. Her desperate attempts to find something, anything, that would give her her heart's desire. A move that led her down a dark road. Casey saw the ancient spell book that Matilda had found in a journal from one of the original settlers of Ocracoke Island. She saw Matilda using the obscure spell to raise the wreckage of the Flaming Ship. Only it had raised more than the cursed ship; it had raised the ship and the spirits aboard it. And each time she'd used the spell, more ships and more spirits were awakened.

Casey knew without a doubt that the powerful magic was responsible for the storms as well. Heart pounding in her chest and feeling the heat of the ship despite her angelic protection, Casey realized she could hear the ghost possessing Matilda. His thoughts were less frantic, but no less frightening. Because he had a plan. He wanted to use the spell to unlock _all_ the ships from the Graveyard of the Atlantic.

It made instant sense why he'd possessed Matilda. He was looking for the spellbook. And he'd used Matilda to find it. Casey shivered as she heard Matilda's awful scream as the ghost continued to rip through her mind. He had the spellbook now and Matilda was fighting him with everything she had. Casey caught a glimpse of the spellbook in her mind, safely tucked in the Captain's cabin. And then she staggered slightly under the weight of what else she had seen.

The spellbook was warded.

That was going to be a big problem. Casey reached out with her powers, trying both to shield Matilda, find a way to release her from the ghost's possession, as well as figure out exactly what type of warding was on the spellbook. As if that wasn't enough to have on her mind, she was distracted by the realization that more of the ghostly armada was already landing and beginning to take over the island. She felt them heading toward the museum and spared some of her attention and power to do what she could to shield the museum.

Matilda screamed again, drawing Casey's attention back to the situation on the ship. Casey focused on drawing the evil spirit out of Matilda, but the ghost knew what she was doing and stopped fighting. Almost breathless with the relief, Casey was staggered when Matilda's screams were silenced and she slumped to the deck, dead.

Failure swept over Casey like one of the churning ocean waves at the sight of the girl's crumpled form. All she'd ever wanted was for the museum to be a success and, dreadfully terrible choice to use witchcraft to make that dream come true, Matilda hadn't been a bad person. Casey's hands tightened to fists as she stared ahead at the cabin where she knew the spellbook was stored. The ghost who had been possessing Matilda was swirling before her in a grey-green haze and taking on its true form.

Casey felt heat on her skin as renewed flames began leaping all around her. In that moment, she knew she needed to get off the ship and regroup. Because this spirit was incredibly powerful and the spellbook he had locked away in his cabin was carefully warded against any number of beings; demons and angels alike. She could work through the warding, given time and opportunity, but right now, her powers were being stretched almost to the breaking point. Before the ghost could fully regain its form, she left the ship and returned to the museum.

Arriving inside Matilda's office, Casey realized she could hear what sounded like a scuffle just outside the room. Instantly outside, she was just in time to destroy the angry spirit who had been about to take Sam's head off.

"Thought I told you to be careful." She said, leaning down and helping him sit up.

"I was being careful." Sam shrugged, rubbing his neck. "It just got a bit hard to keep up with all of them."

Casey looked around, "How many were there?"

"After the woman with the axe," Sam said, struggling to his feet, and putting a hand against the building, "there were at least ten others. I had enough rounds in my gun to get rid of the first few, but...it's probably a good thing you showed up."

"Of course it was." Casey grinned, "You alright?"

Sam nodded, "Just bruised. Did you find her?"

Casey touched his shoulder and they were instantly back inside, out of the rain. She sighed and quickly explained what had happened. "We need to figure out a way to send them all back to Davy Jones' locker. And quickly. I'm shielding us right now, but we've got to deal with that captain." She said, shaking her head. "He's got extreme powers, Sam. He's stronger than any ghost I've ever seen."

"Could Matilda's spell be enhancing his abilities?" Sam asked, "A spell powerful enough to raise ships from the deep...if it's focused incorrectly…"

"Like by an amateur."

"Yeah," Sam nodded, "Who knows what Matilda might have done."

Casey said, "I'm going to do what I can to put a protective spell over this building, Sam. And then we need to figure out a spell that will get rid of them all."

"We're not going to be able to just salt and burn the remains."

"No, we're not." Casey agreed, walking over to Matilda's desk. She said, "Help me move the desk, Sam. I was able to hear some of Matilda's thoughts. She had all of her equipment under her desk under the floorboard. Maybe we can find something we can use."

* * *

 _Gary Darvill's House_

It all happened so quickly, there wasn't anything he could have done about it. Dean's heart jumped into his throat as the massive branch came out of the blackness of the night on a wild blast of wind. There'd been no time to shout a warning, no time to react at all. The branch slammed into Bennett's side and she went to the ground hard. Dean ducked as the branch tumbled past him and then he was rushing the short distance between them.

"Bennett!" He shouted above the wind, all thoughts of the ghosts momentarily out of his mind. Because his brother's girlfriend, _fiancee_ , was lying in the wet grass, unmoving. Reaching her side, he was almost terrified to touch her for fear he wouldn't find a pulse. It was there, though, reassuringly beating under his fingertips as he spoke. "Hey, hey, come on, Bennett, no time for a nap."

Shaking his head, he was one split second from calling for Casey when another shot rang out in the darkness.


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15**

 _Ocracoke Museum_

Sam finished shoving the cheap desk aside and Casey instantly knelt and pulled up a floorboard. Crouching down next to her, Sam shook his head and said, "Great. It looks like she went and just ordered the _Witches Starter Kit for Dummies_."

"At least these books aren't warded." Casey said, lifting two books out from the small library. She handed one to Sam and started flipping through them. "If we can find a spell to reverse what Matilda did…"

"We're going to need the original spell." Sam said, staring down at the various objects that Matilda had arranged below the floorboards. He looked up at Casey as lightning flashed outside and said, "This is some intense magic, Casey. Without the original spell, I'm not sure we can make a reversal spell work. There are reversal spells in this book, but..."

"They're useless without knowing the original spell. I know." Casey nodded, "Find a generic binding spell if you can." She poked around Matilda's storage locker of witchcraft and said, "If we can bind the spirits and then begin the reversal spell, we should still be able to make this work. I just need time to get back on that ship and break through the warding."

Shaking his head, he grabbed her wrist as she started to stand. He said, "While you're also trying to hold back all the violent and psychopathic spirits aboard that ship."

"Exactly!" Casey grinned. "They won't even know I'm there. I'll shield myself so I can just snatch and grab the spellbook."

Sam stood up up with her and hoped he could convince her of another way. Because he had a bad feeling about what he knew she was thinking. He said, "I'm totally confident in your angelic abilities, Casey, but if these spirits are as powerful as you already said they are…"

"I can do it, Sam."

For a moment, they stood silently staring at each other. He could see the determination and frustration in her eyes. Knowing how much Dean had been smothering her with his concern, Sam tried not to do that. He said, "Casey. It's going to take time for you to get past the warding, right?"

"Which is why you're going to use the binding spell to get all of the spirits ready to be sent back to the deep. Together." Casey said, smiling up at him. "Sam, it will be fine. I promise. You get that spell done and by the time you're finished, I'll be past the warding and then I can work the reversal on the original spell."

"Then let's go together." Sam said, closing the spellbook. "You keep the ghosts off our back and work the binding spell and I'll get the warded spellbook."

Casey shook her head, "The binding spell...Sam you need to be here." She motioned to Matilda's hidden supplies. "Trying to work that kind of magic on a flaming ghost ship...it just won't work. Ok? I can do this. Don't worry about your brother. I'll handle him."

Sam shook his head, thinking of every one of the thousand ways this could go wrong. He said, "If I screw up, you're…"

"You won't screw up."

"You better get back off that ship, Dr. Economou or my brother is going to kill me." Sam said, knowing that if Dean were around this whole discussion would be going a lot differently.

Casey grinned, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, "Don't worry Sam, I'll get off the ship. Maybe we'll get this accomplished without Dean even knowing."

"We can only hope." Sam said, feeling gnawing worry about what he and Casey were planning as well as a growing concern for his brother and Bennett.

"When I'm on that ship…" Casey said, "I won't be able to make contact. The spirit activity, it's beyond belief. I probably won't be able to hear you if you call me."

"I don't like it." Sam said, trying and failing to think of an alternative.

"If Dean shows up, just tell him I'll let him rescue me next time." Casey grinned and disappeared.

Wishing he felt as confident as she seemed, Sam knelt in front of Matilda's supplies and began gathering the items he would need to complete the spell.

* * *

 _Gary Darvill's House_

The pain ripping through his right leg blinded him to all thought. A shout of pain tore from his throat as he flopped heavily onto the ground next to Bennett. He fired at the ghost as he lay there, one hand instinctively reaching toward his knee. Dean had been shot plenty of times before. _But you don't get immune to it_ , he thought bitterly, blinking through the driving rain, trying to find the spirit that had just shot him.

"Sie sollten tot geblieben, Fritz. Ihr Verrat sank unser Schiff!" A voice shouted from somewhere to his left.

Dean didn't know much German, but he recognized the language and no translation app was needed to tell him the spectral sailor suddenly pointing the pistol at his face was furious. Trying to think past the shredding pain in his leg, Dean fired again, but the spirit was quick. The ghost continued to spout angry words at him as Dean tried to keep him in his sights.

He shot the apparition and didn't even feel that relieved when it vanished. Because it was hard to think past the fact a bullet recently passed straight through his thigh and Bennett hadn't so much as twitched. Dean dizzily pushed himself upright, nearly passing out in the process and grabbed the container of salt from where it had fallen. Left hand pressed against his leg, he rushed to create a less than perfect salt ring around them. It wasn't going to do much in the long run, or even in the short run, he decided, watching the rain already soaking the salt into the mud.

Pressing both his hands against the hole in his bleeding leg, Dean looked around. Other than the ferocious storm, nothing was happening and nothing was moving. The car was agonizingly far away; probably a whole ten yards. Looking at the river of blood under his leg, he gritted his teeth. Because he didn't have a choice. There was no option. He wasn't going to lay there in the mud while a freakin' _ghost_ got the upper hand.

Fumbling in his coat pocket for his phone, he felt the dizziness double and the next thing he knew, he was staring up at the sky wondering what had happened and why he felt so crappy. He wasn't sure how long he lay there before he remembered the phone. Lifting it, he felt the defeat threatening to overcome him when he saw there was no signal at all. Head tilting to the right, he stared at Bennett's ghastly pale face. He wasn't sure she was still breathing and the terrible unfairness of it all hit him like a ton of bricks.

Dean had watched the love of Sam's life die once before and he'd be damned if he was going to watch that happen again. Summoning a reserve of strength he didn't know he had, Dean pressed his hand to Bennett's arm and shook her as hard as he could.

"Bennett! You gotta wake up." Dean said, "Wake up and I'll let you drive."

"Really?"

Seeing Bennett's eyes blearily blinking against the falling rain, Dean lifted his right hand to shield her eyes from the rain and said, "You with me?"

"What happened?" Bennett whispered, trying her hardest to uncross her eyes enough to look at him.

"You got hit by a tree."

"Owwww…." Bennett moaned, shifting slightly and going three shades paler.

"Bennett? What hurts?"

"Head. Side." She clumsily cradled her left arm in her right hand. "Where're we?"

Dean decided they could catch up later. He had other priorities at the moment; namely not bleeding to death. He said, "Bennett, I need you to trust me, ok?"

"Yeah."

"We need to get out of here. I'll tell you everything later." Dean said, trying gently to get her sitting up. He hated moving her, but they were out of options. "Can you get up?"

Bennett answered by nodding her head once and promptly throwing up all over the ground; narrowly missing his legs. Dean almost lost his own battle with nausea, but forced himself to breathe carefully and hold her up until she finished. Hair hanging in her face, Bennett finally straightened and got to her knees, clinging to his shoulder for stability.

And then he was grabbing for his gun and firing it at the face of what looked an awful lot like the dude from _Pirates of the Caribbean_. The one with the eyeball that always was rolling away. Mentally celebrating his minor victory, Dean glanced back at Bennett.

"You…" She whispered, eyes widening as she caught sight of his leg. "You're...bleeding. You got shot?"

"Just a little." Dean smiled, knowing she knew better. He said, "I'll be fine. _We'll_ be fine. Just need to get out of here. Find Casey."

Dean didn't mention the fact that he hadn't been able to make contact with Casey yet. He reached into his coat pocket and handed her the keys with a shaking, bloody hand. At this point he wasn't sure which one of them was really the better option to drive, but he did know he was losing a lot of blood and that the darkness encroaching on him was getting harder to resist. Dean said, "I'm not going to be able to drive with this leg. You...you're gonna have to do it."

"Ok." Bennett whispered, taking the keys and pushing herself to her feet unsteadily.

"Good girl." Dean said, then clenched his teeth and dragged himself up.

By the time he was clinging to the car, Bennett had the passenger side door open and was crawling through to the other side. Dean fell into the car and lay there with his head on the seat for a long moment. He vaguely heard Bennett fumbling with something and he knew he had to summon the resolve to get his legs into the car. Leaning up on his elbows, Dean reached up and grabbed the back of the seat, dragging himself upright. Gasping, he squeezed his eyes closed and put both his hands around his knee in order to pull his leaking leg into the car.

Getting the door closed, Dean crumbled forward, head resting on the dashboard and his arms hanging limply by his legs as he tried to hang on to consciousness. He knew he should try to wrap the wound, but at the moment, he couldn't even move.

A few seconds passed, then he heard the comforting thrum of the engine as Bennett started the car. Warm, welcoming numbness was calling his name and he smiled as he felt himself sliding closer to the abyss. As he tumbled into darkness, Dean regretted not jumping into unconsciousness a few moments sooner. Because, even unconscious, he was going to be dwelling on the last thing he heard Bennett say before he faded out.

"Dean?" Bennett sounded oddly calm considering the circumstances. "Probably now's not the time to remind you that I don't know how to drive, is it?"

* * *

 _The Flaming Ship of Ocracoke_

Casey wished she could spare the time to search the island for Dean and Bennett. But, standing on the deck of the Flaming Ship, she knew there really was not option. The evil Matilda had, however inadvertently, unlocked was going to destroy the island. And Casey knew none of them would be willing to let her get them off the island while leaving the innocent people of Ocracoke to be destroyed by the angry spirits. So she stood on the deck of the ship, doing what she could to draw the spirits toward the ship while not giving her own presence away yet.

The longer she could remain hidden from the spirits, the better.

Watching the ghosts move along the deck, Casey felt chills running up her spine. She'd

never been truly afraid of ghosts. Not since her mother had sat her down and told her what they were and how to get rid of them. Now, though, she wasn't too proud to admit that she was actually a little scared of them. Because there were so many. Looking beyond the ship, she was able to see what she hadn't even noticed before.

The ghostly armada.

Eyes widening, Casey stared out at the ships and lost count within seconds. As far as she could see, ghost ships were rising from the deep. Schooners, small motor boats, freighters and three masted sailing ships rose from the waters, their ghostly forms flickering in the light of the storm. A U-boat surfaced and Casey almost smiled thinking about what Dean would say if he could see that. Her hands fisted at her sides, she closed her eyes for a moment and pictured his face.

He would be fine. He _was_ fine. There was no reason to expect otherwise. He and Bennett had gone to talk to Gary Darvill and Casey was certain now that the man had nothing to do with any of this. So they were probably safe and sound and headed toward Sam even now. Casey nodded, opening her eyes again and staring at the ships. The only thing Dean and Bennett might run into were a few ghosts. And Dean knew how to handle ghosts. Until this moment, as she took in the sight of a ghost navy, Casey knew she'd never seen as many ghosts as Dean and Sam had in their lifetime.

She'd been raised a huntress, but her mother, and even Uncle Crowley, had done what they could to give her a normal life. Maybe it wasn't as normal as some people, but she'd grown up and gone to school in the same town. Until she'd fled from Jake and his fists, she'd only lived in one place. Now she'd been through Purgatory, defeated the Black Plague and now stood overlooking the most incredible sight she'd ever seen.

"I'm glad you approve."

Casey spun around, heart in her throat and her blade in her hand. Her eyes flashed grey as she met the gaze of a grizzled old man. He smiled at her and said, "Allow me to introduce myself. Captain Malcolm Montgomery. This is my ship, _Lady Amelia Carena_."

"Nice ship." Casey managed to find her voice. She cast a glance at her watch and knew it was far too early. This wasn't good. He shouldn't have been able to break through her cloaking so easily.

"My power is so much beyond what you can imagine, my dear." Montgomery said with another smile. He said, "That poor dear girl, Matilda was it? She had no idea what she was doing. Well, she did to a certain extent, I suppose. But she had no idea that her little spell would do so much more than bring up a few paltry pieces of wreckage. It _awakened us_. It unlocked the Graveyard of the Atlantic."

"You ever heard the saying 'what's dead should stay dead'?" Casey asked, tightening her grip on her blade even as she noticed other ghosts were taking notice of their interaction.

Montgomery laughed and said, "Heard it. But don't pay no mind to it, lass. Because we may be dead, but we're not staying that way."

"I'm sorry, Captain Montgomery." Casey said, actually feeling a pang of sympathy for the man. "But I'm here to help you all move on. You don't have to be trapped here anymore."

"Oh but we're not trapped, lass." Captain Montgomery said, stepping closer, "We're exactly where we want to be. Thanks to Matilda, the dead have been given another chance." He motioned to the ocean filled with ghost ships and grinned. "We're going to sail these waters again and take back what once was ours."

Even though a part of her felt bad for the ghosts being brought back like this, Casey could tell that these ghosts weren't interested in simply existing. They were out for vengeance and they didn't much care who they took it out on. Montgomery had moved to the bow of the ship and seemed to be enjoying the sight of the storm destroying the island. Hoping that Sam was having success with the binding spell, she began fighting to cross the deck of the ship. Now that the Captain knew she was aboard, she wouldn't be able to sneak to the cabin.

The mission had just become a lot more complicated.

* * *

 _Road heading to Ocracoke Museum_

Bennett was thankful she was observant. Thankful she paid attention. Thankful she had played _Mario Kart_ with Dean a few dozen times back at the bunker. Because that was the only thing that was keeping her on the road. That and the terrifying realization that Dean was crumpled unconscious and bleeding on the seat next to her. Breathing shallowly, she tried to pretend he was just taking a quick nap.

She also tried to pretend she could see the road.

But she couldn't and painting a picture wasn't going to do any good at this point. She wrenched the wheel far too hard to the right and cringed when she heard Dean smack against the passenger side door. Trying to get back on the road, she corrected a bit more gently this time and bumped back onto what she hoped was the street and not the sidewalk. Not that she could tell. In all honesty, she wasn't seeing too well and the merciless pounding in her skull and the stabbing pains in her left side reminded her with every breath that Dean wasn't the only one who needed help.

So she clung to the wheel with what strength she had and hoped Dean would forgive her for whatever damage she was doing to the Impala.

Only by repeating to herself where she was going was she able to remember to go to the museum. And it was a good thing she'd been paying attention when she and Dean had gone to meet Casey and Sam the other day or she never would have found it. It was a miracle she did even then, given the storm and the way the world seemed to turn upside down and inside out every few seconds.

Bennett narrowed her eyes, wondering when she'd become so near-sighted. And then she was slamming on the brakes and gasping in an uneasy breath. The bumper knocked over a park bench, but didn't go through the window of the museum just beyond the bench, so Bennett figured she'd done ok. Of course, with the victory of arriving at the museum came the almost overwhelming desire to close her eyes and sleep.

Hands still on the wheel, her head started to droop. She was about one second from falling into a very welcoming sleep when she heard a shout. The voice sounded familiar and she frowned, trying her hardest to get her head to move upright again so she could see who was hollering her name.

And then the door opened and a rush of rainy, cold air hit her. Recoiling in shock, Bennett almost fell sideways, then strong hands were grabbing her and she managed to open her eyes because the familiar voice was begging her to do so. Blinking in the darkness, she smiled as she finally recognized the worried face in front of hers.

"Sam?"

"Thank God. Bennett," Sam still sounded frantic and he looking past her, even as he was pulling her towards him. "What happened? Come on, we need to get inside."

"Dean…"

"I'll come back for him." Sam said and he sounded so strong and confident about it that Bennett just shrugged and let him lift her into his arms. He asked, "What happened?"

Her eyes weren't working again, Bennett realized when she felt her forehead hit something soft and warm. Listening to his pounding heart, she mumbled, "Dunno."

"Hey, hey, stay with me, Bennett." Sam's voice was getting foggy and far away.

"Staying." She forced a smile, tilting her head up so she could see his face despite the driving rain. "For always."

Sam gave her a quick kiss and said, "You better."

* * *

 _Ocracoke Museum_

Sam rushed toward the office, his worry divided in three. He'd been worrying about his brother and Bennett ever since they hadn't responded to his calls earlier. Given the storm and the terrible reception he had when he'd tried to call, he knew that was why he hadn't heard back from them. Now that he saw the state they were in, even his gratitude at seeing them was somewhat diminished by the sight of how badly injured they were. And that wasn't even touching on his concern for Casey.

Let alone _Dean's_ response when he found out Casey wasn't with him.

Easing Bennett down on the floor, he helped her sit back against the edge of the desk, away from the windows and doors. There wasn't much in the museum, less still in the semi-protected office, and calling an ambulance was going to be pointless at this moment. Gently brushing his fingers over her head, he quickly found the gash over her left eye. It wasn't bleeding anymore, but was jagged and bruised looking.

"How are you doing?" Sam asked Bennett, pulling off his coat and wrapping it around her shoulders.

She swallowed hard and said, "I'm ok Sam. Go help Dean. He got shot."

"Stay put."

"Nowhere to go." He heard Bennett whisper as he left the room.

He hated to leave her, but knew he needed to get to Dean. His quick glance earlier had shown him that his brother was moving nowhere on his own. Instantly soaked to the skin, he sprinted back to the car and was relieved to see Dean moving clumsily. Breathing a sigh of relief as he opened the passenger side door, he was surprised to find himself staring down the barrel of his brother's gun.

"Easy! It's me!" He said, hands raised.

"Sammy?" Dean sounded as horrible as he looked; bloodshot eyes sized him up as the gun wavered in unsteady hands.

"Yeah, it's me. Take it easy." Sam said, reaching out and grabbing Dean's shoulders to help him upright. Any relief he felt disappeared when he saw his brother's leg. The crimson was pooling on the seat under him. "Oh, man. Dean…."

"Looks worse than it is." Dean muttered, trying to push Sam's hands away.

Sam shot him a look of annoyance and frustration. _Stupid big brothers._ He said, "Dean, you have a bullet hole in your freakin' leg."

"Not the first time," Dean said, breathing carefully, his free hand fisted on the dashboard. He grabbed Sam's shoulder and pushed himself out of the car, "and unless we retire sometime soon, probably won't be the last either. Get me inside."

"What happened?" Sam asked, supporting Dean's weight.

"Revenge of the Sith."

"What?"  
Dean laughed, then grimaced in pain. He said, "Nazi ghosts." Hobbling forward, he asked, "Bennett?"

"Inside, Dean." Sam said, wanting to get Dean inside too. "Come on."

"Hit by a tree."

"What?"

"She got hit by a tree." Dean mumbled, head lowered against his chest as he stumbled forward unsteadily.

Sam gritted his teeth and forced himself to ignore his brother's pained gasps as they moved. By the time they reached the door of the museum, Sam was the only thing keeping Dean upright. He tightened his grip around Dean's chest and slammed the door closed with his free hand, then pulled his brother the last few feet toward the office.

Slamming the office door shut behind them, Sam wasn't able to keep Dean from collapsing to the floor; just barely able to ease his descent.

"Casey?" Dean mumbled, eyes barely focused as they searched the room, then tracked Sam's movement as he eased him down on the floor next to Bennett.

Sam knew better than to hedge. He focused on Dean's leg as he spoke, "She's trying to stop what's going on."

"Wha's'goin'on?" Dean asked, then groaned in pain as Sam tore his jeans.

"Crap, Dean, this is…"

"'s a bullet hole, Sam. Patch it up till Casey gets back."

Sam met his brother's eyes and, despite knowing Casey could fix Dean's leg, Sam was having a hard time not worrying over the bloody mess. It was a through and through and looked like it had missed everything vital. He'd be in pain, and grumpy, but with a bit of pressure and rest, Dean could hold on until Casey got back.

"Sam. Wrap it up." Dean reached up and grabbed his elbow with a bloody hand, "Focus. What's happening?"

"Um…" Sam reached for the white sweater Matilda had been wearing the other day and pressed it against the bloody wound as he briefly summed up everything that had been happening since they'd split up. He watched Dean's face go even paler when he explained where Casey was.

Dean said, "You shouldn't have…"

Sam shook his head in exasperation and said, "I wasn't given a choice, Dean. You know Casey. It was the only way. And she made the decision."

"So what now?" Dean asked weakly, the fight fading from him.

Finishing tying the sweater around his brother's leg, Sam wiped his hands on his own jeans and said, "Now we wait."

"Until three am?" Dean said, struggling to get a glimpse of his watch.

"Twenty minutes." Sam said, glancing at Bennett. She gave him a quick smile and he looked back at Dean and said, "You let her drive your car."

Dean nodded, glaring slightly as he said, "She hit a mailbox."

"The only driving she's ever done is _Mario Kart_ , you know?" Sam grinned.

"Saved our bacon." Dean said, looking up at Sam with a weary expression of pride. Briefly, he recounted what had happened to them at Gary Darvill's house. He tilted his head toward Bennett and added, "Need to learn to duck though."

"I tried." She said, still holding her left arm gingerly. "It was kind of a big tree branch. I'll be ok."

"I know."

"So will Casey, Dean." Sam added, sensing his brother's worry.

Dean looked back at him and nodded, "Soon as I get there to help her she will be."

Sam closed his eyes and willed himself to have patience with his stupid, stubborn brother. He tried to be gentle as he said, "Dean, you're not going anywhere on that leg. You're going to need Casey or Cas to…"

"Tried calling him." Dean interrupted, looking both annoyed and miserable.

"I tried too." Sam said softly. "Casey said the spirit activity on the island was basically messing with communication. Maybe he can't hear us."

"Sammy, I gotta get out there." Dean said, desperation evident in his tone and the look in his eyes. He said, "I'm going to try calling for her. I have to believe she can hear me."

Sam nodded slowly. He knew there wasn't anything else Dean could do, wasn't any way that Dean could even make it out there to the ghost ship on his own, but he also knew that if there was any hope, they had to try anything they could. He knew the chances were slim that Casey would be able to hear Dean, but he crossed his fingers anyway as he heard his brother's voice.

"Casey. Hey. It's me." Dean had his eyes closed, hand gripping his wounded leg. He said desperately, "You need to come back here, babe. I need you off that ship. Please, Echo. Please."

Holding his breath, Sam exchanged a look with his brother and waited.


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER 16**

She couldn't hear his words, couldn't tell what he had said, but Casey heard Dean's voice as clearly as if he were standing right here with his arms wrapped around her, his chin resting so perfectly on top of her head. For a split second, she smiled, feeling the comfort that came from knowing he loved her, that he was always there for her. But the comfort faded and she was left with nothing but a flaming ship around her and the cold abyss in her heart of knowing Dean wasn't with her.

Casey stared at the captain in front of her and let herself feel Dean's voice, feel his pain, his distress. She couldn't hear the words, didn't know what he'd said or what he needed, but she could feel his pain. He was hurting; physically and emotionally. He needed her.

So she went to him.

In a heartbeat, she was in the museum and looking at her family and her smile faded. Because they were a mess. She looked immediately at Dean and saw his eyes light up with disbelief and joy when he saw her.

"Did ya miss me?" Casey smiled, relief and exhaustion overwhelming her. The room went dark and then she was falling.

"Echo!" Dean reached futilely for her; hampered by a bullet wound in his leg and maybe just a little from the blood loss.

Thankfully, Sam was not so hindered and easily caught her before she could hit the floor. Dean strained to scoot closer, hearing Sam's reassurances as he did. Sam said, "She's ok, Dean. She's ok. Just worn out, I think. Took a lot of energy to…"

"She is _singed_ , Sam!" Dean shouted, actually seeing smoke rising from her inert form. "She's _singed._ "

Sam's eyes widened at Dean's proclamation, but he looked more amused than concerned. Casey was already stirring, her head tilting Dean's way as Sam held her. She rolled her eyes and mumbled softly, "I'm not singed."

"Your hair is smoking!" Dean said, cringing at the pain in his leg as he inched yet a little closer, still trying to reach out to her.

Casey lifted a hand to her head and pulled some of her loose waves in front of her face for an inspection. The strands came away in her hand in a smoky clump. Her eyes crossed as she stared at her hair, then she burst out laughing. She pushed herself up slightly and said, "You're right!"

"Of course I am." Dean muttered, letting himself fall back against the wall in exhaustion. He asked, "Are you alright?"

"Besides the sudden desire for a haircut, yes." Casey nodded, letting the strands of burnt hair in her hand drop as she pushed off the floor to scoot closer to him, a smile on her pale, slightly sooty face. She touched his cheek and whispered, "I'm alright, Deano. Really."

Before he could reply, or lean in for the kiss he so desperately wanted, a thunderous clap of thunder rocked the museum, and everyone stared at the shaking window as lightning flashed and lit the room. Sam met Dean's eyes and said, "This is not good."

"Not good at all." Dean agreed, turning back to Casey. "How did you get here?"

"The usual way. Pouf." Casey spread her fingers in an illustration of an explosion. "I heard you calling for me; not the words exactly, the spirit activity is really interfering with my ability to focus. I needed to stay out there to do what I could to keep the spirits in check, but I knew you needed me so I came." She narrowed her eyes and visually inspected his body, focusing in immediately at the blood on his leg. With a gasp, she leaned forward and said, "What happened?"

"Pissed off a Nazi." Dean grinned, even though he was starting to feel less cheeky and more like passing out might be in his near future. Casey reached out a hand, but he caught her wrist and shook his head, making the room spin dizzyingly. He said, "Don't."

"Dean!"

"Casey, don't. You look like you're going to fall over. Sam told me how much power it was taking for you to protect this building and be out there on the ship." Dean said, his voice softening, "Just, please. Wait."

Casey's eyes teared, and she squeezed his hand. "Dean, you're bleeding…"

"Not the first time." He let his head lean back against the wall and took a deep breath. "It's not that bad. Just need a minute to catch my breath. We all do."

Dean could tell Casey wasn't convinced, or happy, but she simply busied herself checking the dressing on his leg, then said something about looking for a bottle of water. He watched disinterestedly as she moved through the room, feeling the lethargy sweep over him. Sam had also moved away and was doing a careful sweep of the building as the thunder continued to shake the windows and even the floor under them. He knew this was no ordinary storm, even so, the frequency of the flashes of lightning and the fury of the thunder were shocking. He felt the vibrations of another pounding thunderbolt, then let his eyes slide closed. He just needed a minute. Just a minute to catch his breath. That was all…

"I'm going to check out back." Sam said, after circling the room.

Casey nodded, water bottle in her hand. She said, "I've still got the museum secured, Sam, but nothing beyond that right now."

"I'm not leaving the building." He assured her, "Just want to see if we have an army arranging itself between us and the lighthouse."

"Be careful." Casey said, probably unnecessarily. Sam nodded and headed for the back hallway. She was on her way toward Dean, when she noticed Bennett sitting huddled against the desk. Feeling the weariness to her core, Casey still felt terrible that she hadn't even thought about Bennett until right now. Making a detour, Casey set the bottle of water down and knelt next to her friend.

"Casey?" Bennett whispered, reaching out with a shaking hand.

"Hey." Casey smiled, catching her hand, "I'm right here."

"Did you take care of Dean?"

"I'm fine." Dean muttered, eyes still closed.

Casey rolled her eyes, but Bennett persisted, "He got shot. By a ghost!"

"I know." Casey said, frowning at the way Bennett was sitting stiffly against the desk. "What happened to you?"

"Tree…" Bennett said, squeezing her eyes closed as a shiver ran through her. "Wrong place, wrong time…"

"Story of our lives." Dean spoke up again, tilting his head and meeting Casey's worried gaze. He smiled slightly and said, "She learned how to drive."

Casey raised her eyebrows, glancing from Dean to Bennett, then back again. She asked, "What?"

Dean nodded, "Learned under pressure, sure, but she got us here in one piece."

"Good job." Casey smiled at Bennett. "How are you doing?"

"Headache."

 _No doubt,_ Casey thought. She gently touched Bennett's head and said, "I can help with that."

And she probably could have too, if the windows hadn't all blown in at that particular moment. Casey threw herself forward, shielding Bennett from the shards of glass, even as she concentrated all her power on maintaining the protection over the museum. It was disconcerting to feel unfamiliar weakness pulsing through her bones and Casey realized the malevolent spirits were combining their strengths under the guidance of Captain Montgomery.

It was taking everything she had to hold them back.

If it hadn't been for trying to control all the spirits out there, she wouldn't be struggling like she was right now. And she certainly could have had the strength to heal both Dean and Bennett. Feeling discouraged, she held back the powers that were shoving back against her with everything they had. Knowing she was still able to do that much did help absolve her of some of the guilt she was feeling.

"We've got a problem!" Sam's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Casey looked up through the driving rain that was pouring into the room from the shattered windows. Sam was running towards them, shotgun in his hands. He said, "There _is_ an army out there. And they are not going to stay out there for long. Also, the Flaming Ship? It's almost to shore."

"Shore leave for ghosts?" Dean griped, brushing glass off his jeans and out of his hair. "Wonderful. Well, I've already met the only Nazi ghost I ever need to. Is there a plan? Please tell me there's some sort of a plan."

Casey exchanged a glance with Sam and they said at the same time, "There's a plan."

"Sort of." Sam amended.

"Not sort of." Casey argued.

"Just tell me what the heck it is!" Dean shouted over the din of the storm.

Casey said, "It's a spell. A reversal. The spell Matilda was using to bring up the wreckage also brought up the spirits. It awakened a particularly vengeful one named Captain Malcolm Montgomery. He's been possessing Matilda and has her spell book. Sam started working on a binding spell and then we need to get ahold of the original spell and work a reversal on it in order to send all the spirits back to the deep blue sea."

"Ok." Dean waved a hand, impatience clearly winning out over the blood loss and pain. "So let's do the thing."

Sam said, "It's going to be complicated."

"You really needed to clarify that for me, Sammy?" Dean rolled his eyes. "Has it ever, even once, been anything except complicated?"

"Maybe once." Sam said, with a quick smile.

Casey said, "I need to get back on the ship and get that spellbook back while Sam finishes the binding spell."

"Ok." Dean nodded, "So we do it. Where's the complication?"

"Me." Casey admitted, feeling her gut twist with the weight of her inability to do it all. To have the strength needed to protect everyone, heal them, and get the spellbook back. She said, "I'm having trouble holding back the power of the spirits. And the spellbook…"

"Is warded." Sam said, shoving a bookshelf in front of the nearest window.

"So you can't even open it to do the spell." Dean said, grabbing Casey's hand.

Casey sighed and said, "It was taking time for me to fight the spirits in order to get to the spellbook."

"And then you still need time to break through the warding," Sam added.

Dean wiped a hand down his rain-soaked face and pushed himself to his feet, using Casey's hand as leverage. He said, "We'll go together."

"No." Casey shook her head, "You are in no condition…."

"I'm fine." Dean cut her off immediately. "The only way any of this ends well for any of us is if we do the spells and gank these waterlogged ghosts for once and for all. Can you get us both on the boat, Echo?"

Hesitating, Casey weighed her options. There were few. And the look in Dean's eyes told her that she shouldn't even bother to bring up the few options since he was going to have an ironclad reason to shoot them all down. So she took a deep breath and said, "Alright."

"Alright." Dean said with a shaky thumbs up, still leaning against the wall. He said, "So what's the plan?"

Casey met Sam's gaze and said, "Same basic plan as before. I should be able to get us back to the ship and hold back everyone that's going to want to kill us while we grab the spellbook and you get it open, Dean."

Dean nodded and looked at Sam, "You get that binding spell done and we'll do our part."

"I will." Sam said, "Just like we planned."

"I won't be able to protect you any more if I'm concentrating my power on the ghosts on the ship." Casey said, desperation swelling.

Sam shrugged, but it was Bennett who spoke up. She said, "I can paint a picture...keep the ghosts from even seeing us."

Casey liked the sounds of that. In theory. What she didn't like was the way Bennett

seemed to be having trouble keeping her eyes open as she spoke. Casey almost protested, but, before she could, Sam spoke up, "Let's do it."

"Sam?" Dean asked, and Casey could feel her worries reflected in his tone.

"We need to do this." Sam said confidently, "We can do this."

"Okie dokie then." Dean said, a grin on his face as the thunder pounded and the rain swirled in through the other windows. He turned to Casey and said, "But after this…"

"After this?" Casey asked, wishing he didn't look so unsteady and that she could have healed the wound in his leg.

"After this," Dean said, "Bikinis. Beaches. Bacardi."

"In that order?" Casey raised an eyebrow, amused with the way his mind worked.

"In any order." Dean said, then waved a hand. "Let's go."

"Good luck." Casey said to Sam, then took Dean's hand and a second later, they were standing on the deck of the Flaming Ship of Ocracoke. Casey looked at Dean and repeated her statement, "Good luck."

Dean took in the sight of the burning deck, the ghosts swarming around them, and the sight of Captain Montgomery standing in front of them and he said, "Yeah. I think we're going to need as much of that as we can get, Echo."

Sam didn't like this any more than Dean or Casey did, but they really didn't have a choice. The howl of the wind and the nearly continuous rolling of thunder reminded him that his brother and Casey weren't the only ones who had a mission before them. Turning around, he saw Bennett holding out a hand and he pulled her to her feet.

"You going to be able to do this?" He asked, seeing her sway just a little before gaining her balance.

"If you can make sure…" She broke off, letting her head rest against his chest, then said, "that I don't fall over, then I can make sure the ghosts don't bother us."

"Deal." Sam said, keeping his arm around her shoulders as he surveyed the room.

The wind and rain were turning the once neat museum into the scene of a disaster. There was no way he would be able to do the spell in this mess. The candles wouldn't stay lit for one thing. Knowing time was of the essence, he said, "Bennett? I'm going to gather up the supplies we need. But we can't do the spell here. Can you look around for a closet or a storage room without windows?"

"Yeah." She said, taking one step away from him, her posture stiff as she moved. Rubbing her side, Bennett headed down the hallway.

"Be careful." He called out after her.

"You too."

As soon as she turned a corner, Sam quickly grabbed a cardboard box that held some of the artifacts from the shipwrecks and dumped the contents out onto the floor. He cringed as the stuff fell and something broke. Now was not the time to worry about what priceless piece of history he'd just shattered. If he didn't get this spell going, history wasn't going to be the only thing to shatter.

The entire island would be destroyed by its own history.

Shoving everything into the box that he thought he would need, and even a few things he didn't think he would need, Sam stood up quickly and turned around. He didn't see Bennett and hoped she was having success in finding a safe place for them to go. Holding the box carefully in his left arm, he picked up the shotgun and caught sight of a hoard of ghosts stalking toward the museum. Cursing under his breath, he moved off to one side of the window and waited for the moment the ghosts would come for the door.

"What are you doing?" Bennett's whisper, barely audible over the storm, startled him from his study of the ghosts.

Sam backed away from the window and hurried to her side, "We gotta go. The ghosts are…"

"Confused." Bennett grinned. Rolling her eyes at his look of confusion, she went on, "I've got them, Sam. Ok? I've got us hidden. For now."

"For now?" He asked, daring a quick glance back out the window.

Bennett sighed, "I've kind of got a headache already. I don't know how long I can keep up ghost distraction duty, so how about you stop trying to shoot them and hurry up and do that stupid spell?"

Sam laughed. And then shook his head at her annoyed expression. He nodded, "Ok, ok! Did you find a…"

"Room with no view?" Bennett asked, annoyance fading as she leaned against the wall and smiled, "I sure did. Without the ghosts, the witches spell, oh and the toilet, it would be actually kind of cozy."

"A bathroom?" Sam raised an eyebrow, following her down the hallway, keeping the shotgun ready.

"I thought we were in a hurry." Bennett said, hand against the wall as she walked.

"We are." Sam agreed as the building shook and something crashed into the roof above them. Bennett's eyes widened and Sam urged, "So hurry."

Dean thought he knew what to expect when he was about to be teleported to a flaming ship, but actually finding himself standing amid the flames, staring down at least a dozen very angry spirits, was more intense than he'd ever imagined. He'd been in a lot of crazy situations over the years. _Crazy doesn't really even cover it,_ Dean thought to himself, feeling Casey's hand on his arm. This was an entirely new level of beyond crazy. A ghost ship floating in the Atlantic, resurrected by a witch's spell and led by a ghost who was trying to rouse _all_ the spirits from the deep.

"Dean." Casey's voice was raised in order to be heard over the roaring wind and the crackling of flames.

"Yeah. Get the book. Got it." Dean nodded, feeling Casey's grip on his arm tighten. "You got the spirits?"

"Got them." Casey said, then moved from his side to pull him into a desperate embrace.

Dean leaned down as she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his. Her hands were tangled in his hair as she pulled him ever closer until Dean almost forgot about everything except for the gorgeous woman he held in his arms. _Wanted_ to forget about everything except for Casey and the seemingly far off dream of holding her close forever in peace.

But there was no peace right now. Only flames licking the blackened sky, burning into the clouds, tinting the ocean blood red.

He smoothed back her windblown hair and kissed her deeply, then pressed his forehead to hers and whispered, "I want to run away with you."

Casey breathed out a sigh and nodded against his head, her hands still twisted in his hair as she said, "You are everything I have ever dreamed of, Dean Winchester."

She pressed her lips against his once more, then Dean brushed her hair back from her face, pulling back slightly and meeting her gaze. He grinned and said, "Let's gank some ghosts, babe."

"And bikinis after." Casey smiled, stepping back and lifting a hand toward Captain Montgomery.

Painting a picture for a ghost was far easier than painting pictures for a demon. However, painting pictures for twenty odd ghosts with a headache the size of Mt. McKinley was so much more difficult. At least they were out of the rain and sheltered from the wind. Even if being crushed up between the sink and the toilet while Sam set up the supplies necessary for the spell was not exactly her idea of a good time. She flicked her Zippo and lit the three candles he set up on the lid of the toilet. Bennett decided that, as much as she had been irritated with the way Matilda had been falling all over herself in front of Sam, the girl did have at least one good point.

Matilda was apparently a clean freak.

Given the fact that she was practically cuddling with the museum toilet, Bennett was grateful that Matilda kept a clean shop. Once the candles were lit, she slid back as far as she could and pulled her knees up to rest her head on them while she listened to the roar of the wind outside. Worry bubbled up as she thought about Dean and Casey out there on that ship, but she forced herself to focus on the one thing she _could_ do to help them. Painting a picture to keep the ghosts away so that Sam could do his part and work the spell.

"Bennett?" Sam's voice was calm, soft. "You ok?"

She nodded, not lifting her head from her knees as she whispered, "Remember that part about hurrying?"

"Yeah."

"So hurry."

Time passed in a murky, spinning haze of misery that reminded her all too well of the very first time she'd ever gotten drunk. She could hear Sam's calm voice reciting words she didn't understand and let it lull her into a sense of peace as she concentrated on the spirits.

Dean figured out pretty quickly why Casey's hair had been on fire.

He was going to smell like smoke for days. At least he wasn't _actually_ on fire. He glanced quickly at Casey, saw her hand extended as she fought off the captain. She was holding back the flames from him, keeping the ghosts away from him and, from the looks of it, she was annihilating a few of them at a time. Dean saw the absolute determination in Casey's eyes and knew she was going to be just fine.

She had the spirits contained and all he had to do was find the warded book of spells and perform the second spell before Casey burnt herself out. Dean knew where he was most likely to find the book and headed toward the Captain. He heard Casey call out to him to be careful and he nodded, waving a hand distractedly. Trusting her to protect them both, he took a step across the deck.

His leg didn't give out like he'd been afraid it would, but it was weaker than he would

have liked and each unsteady step forward reminded him that he was still leaking blood and not at the top of his game. Gritting his teeth, Dean limped forward, the shotgun gripped in his hands. The rain was almost a solid wall of icy water as he walked through it, the ship lurching and rolling under his feet. Between the flames, the smoke, and the downpour, and oh yeah the quart or so he was low, he was having a difficult time simply walking across the deck.

"Dean!" Casey's voice broke through the thunder and storm.

Turning his head, he looked back at her through the driving rain and held up a questioning hand. She rolled her eyes and said, "He's holding the spell book!"

"I know!" Dean shouted, "Hence the walking toward him!"

"Well walk faster!"

This time, _he_ rolled his eyes and limped forward as he shouted, "I'll just saunter on over with a hole in my leg."

"You're the one who wanted to come on this trip!" Casey screamed, her eyes flashing grey as a half dozen ghosts suddenly went up in flames.

"All I wanted was…" Dean started to say, but was interrupted by what sounded like an explosion. He stumbled forward, grateful that he ran into a railing and not a ghost. Going down on one knee, he felt the sharp pain in his leg as he kept it stretched out on the slick deck.

Glancing back at Casey, he saw that she had flattened everything around her. The entire stern of the ship was aflame now.

"You are a fool."

Dean blinked, staring into the face of a pirate with yellow teeth as the ghost's hand closed around his throat. The Captain's breath reeked of rum and Dean grimaced, his hands coming up around the pirate's wrist as the Captain said, "You should never have come here."

The grin on the pirate's face vanished in a cloud of smoke and salt spray as Dean brought the shotgun up and fired it into the spectre. The heavy spell book hit the deck and he slid down to the deck, bleeding leg stretched out in front of him as he reached for the book, casting a quick look at Casey. She was walking towards him, but her focus was on the spirits.

He opened the book and flipped through the pages, searching the unfamiliar text for the binding spell that would forever consign the ships and the spirits back to the deep where they belonged. The storm seemed to swell and the rain, if it was even possible, fell out of the sky four times as heavily as before. Bracing his back against the railing, Dean kept half his attention on what Casey was up to and used what was left of his attention to focus on his search through the book.

It took far longer than it should have to find the spell, but finally it was in front of him and he was reading it off, tripping over some of the words. The heat of the flames seemed to be licking closer with every syllable he uttered, and then he was at the end of the spell and looked up at the feel of a hand on his shoulder.

"Dean?" Casey was screaming.

"It's done!" He shouted back.

Casey nodded, leaning down and taking the book. She hurled the book into the flames and the ship seemed to tilt on its axis. And then she knelt next to him, her hands sliding around the back of his head as she leaned her forehead against his and said, "Time to go put on my bikini."

"Yes please." Dean grinned. "How do we get off this doomed ship?"

"Well…" Casey said slowly, her hands gently running through his hair. Her face was pale and the answer he didn't want to hear was written clearly in her eyes.

Dean drew her closer, holding her steady as the ship jolted and spirits screamed all around them. He said, "We don't get off this doomed ship, do we?"

Casey kissed him and said, "We're getting off. But we're going to get wet."

Dean waved a hand at the downpouring sky and said, "Wetter than this?"

Laughing, Casey said, "Ok, maybe not wetter."

"Are you alright?" Dean asked, although he already knew. She wasn't alright. Not at all. He pulled her closer until her head was tucked against his chest and said, "So we swim."

Casey nodded, her hands tightening around his back as they both felt the ship begin to tear itself apart.

* * *

Sam sat back against the wall across from Bennett. He'd finished the spell a moment ago and the screaming of the spirits had escalated and then died off sharply even as the wind had gusted and he'd briefly thought the museum was going to blow down on top of them. When the roof remained above them and the walls stopped shaking, he felt the tension ease out of his shoulders.

"Sam?"

He glanced over at Bennett. She'd had her head down against her knees the entire time he'd worked the spell. He slid a bit closer in the cramped space, and gently touched her shoulder, "Hey."

"It over? I can't...I don't sense the ghosts anymore."

"Almost. The spell is done. Just waiting to see…" He broke off at the sound of an explosion outside. The tension that had just eased returned with a vengeance and he squeezed her shoulder and said, "Stay put."

Sam carefully opened the bathroom door and found the hallway devoid of spirits although it was littered with leaves, sand, papers and puddles of water. He closed the door behind him and held the shotgun ready as he walked back into the main room of the museum. Shaking his head at the mess, Sam had just stepped up to the wide window facing the ocean when he caught sight of the Flaming Ship of Ocracoke.

Despite the pouring rain, the flames continued to lick up to the dark clouds. It was such a vivid sight, yet so far away. So unreachable. And that was where Dean and Casey were. Sam wondered how they were doing and how he could get out there to help him when the ship suddenly exploded. His stomach twisted as he watched the flames triple in height. Holding his breath, Sam waited, hoped, prayed. But the ship disappeared into the water and no one appeared standing safely beside him in the shelter of the museum.

The water turned red as the Flaming Ship of Ocracoke sank into the water, then everything went to black.

For a long moment, he remained frozen in place. The downpour didn't lessen. The sky was still split by shards of bright lightning and the thunder rattled the building, but there were no more spirits in sight. And still no big brother or his angelic girlfriend appeared. Worry coursing through his veins, Sam turned around and found Bennett staring up at him.

A tear slid down her cheek as she whispered, "Are they…"

"I'm going to find them." Sam said immediately.

"Not without me." Bennett said, grabbing his jacket.

"Yes without you."

"Like hell."

Sam smiled at the unexpected response. He shook his head, "I'm getting you somewhere safe and then I'm going to find them."

Bennett grabbed his hand and said, "I _am_ coming with you. They're my family too."

It only took a split second for him to weigh her words before he nodded and said, "Yes they are."

"So let's go find them."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

It didn't turn out to be swimming so much as it turned out to be desperately attempting to avoid drowning. Casey wasn't counting it as a win yet, merely a momentary forestalling of the inevitable. Because she was the angel in the relationship and yet she was the one sinking like a stone. Her head dipped under the swollen waves and at least she was still aware enough to hold her breath when the water swept over her. Kicking frantically, Casey could feel her strength flagging.

Her power was dangerously depleted.

Sure she was one of the most powerful creatures in the entire known universe, and maybe all the unknown universes as well. But even the most powerful creatures in the world needed their batteries charged now and then in between fantastic displays of incredible power. Holding back an army of vengeful spirits while also teleporting herself aboard a flaming ghost ship probably had not been her best decision. And coming back onto the ship and fighting the Captain single-handedly certainly wasn't going to make it on her best hits list. None of which Dean ever needed to know, of course.

Casey coughed, fighting the urge to take a breath, to swallow the ice cold water that was pressing against her lips in an evil facsimile of a tender kiss from Dean. Kicking desperately, she felt Dean's iron-clad grip on her left wrist and then she felt herself being pulled, towed upwards. Just as she started to fade, started to allow herself to drift into the blackness, her face broke free of the water.

Only to be smacked with the coldest air she thought she'd ever felt.

Breathing in the sweet yet frigid oxygen, Casey felt the salt water sting her eyes. She felt hot breath on her left ear, hands tight around her shoulders, holding her close. A gasping, choking cough oriented her more fully to the fact that she wasn't the only one struggling. And then she heard Dean's voice as he gasped out, "Swim, Echo."

She didn't have the breath or the strength to shout out what she was thinking. _What the hell do you think I'm trying to do!_ Casey just coughed as a splash of ocean water filled her mouth. She kicked with what remained of her waning strength, wishing desperately she had enough angelic power to just pouf them out instead of having to swim all the way to the shore she couldn't even see. But she didn't have that kind of power. She barely had the strength to keep kicking and maintain her head above water at least once every few seconds.

Casey thought briefly of Sam and Bennett and her heart felt as cold as the water over her head and the air biting her skin. Obviously they had completed the spell because if they hadn't, Dean would never have been able to send the Flaming Ship back to its watery grave. But she had no way of knowing how they were doing now and her failure to heal Bennett and Dean earlier tore through her, almost stilling her movements. Except to give up would be to give up on her family and she couldn't do that. Not after everything they'd been through.

So Casey plumbed the depths of her resolve and kicked even harder, searching desperately through the black desperation of the night for the promise of the shore. She was swimming, barely able to feel her numb limbs, her ice cold fingers as a nagging worry started to hum at the back of her mind.

In one startling moment of terrible clarity, Casey's nagging worry turned into a klaxon blaring through her overwrought brain and she turned around in the rising and falling waves; the search for the shoreline forgotten.

Because Dean wasn't holding on to her arm anymore.

* * *

"Shouldn't the storm be over?" Bennett asked, huddled under a blanket next to Sam. Her teeth were chattering and she had revised her belief that she would never feel cold again. Because she was pretty sure she would never feel warm again. Sam had already assured her at least five times that the heat was up all the way.

"I don't know." Sam said, face a mask of concentration as he squinted ahead, staring through the windshield.

Bennett pulled her legs up on the seat, trying to contain whatever heat she might have left and remained silent. The rain wasn't letting up and the night was black as the pit and she really didn't want Sam to accidentally drive them off the road. Despite her insistence earlier, she actually was regretting her decision to come on this trip. The numbness that had settled over her a long time ago was incredibly helpful in dulling the throb in her side from where the tree had struck her.

No amount of ice cold rain soaking into her body, though, was enough to even remotely touch the driving pain in her head. The blood wasn't flowing anymore, but she hadn't even bothered to clean the mess on her face up, so she surely looked like a survivor of a slasher flick.

 _Or the victim_ , Bennett mused, closing her eyes and sliding to the left until she was laying down on her side on the seat.

"Bennett?"

She couldn't answer. Trying to keep her stomach from climbing up her throat was taking all of her concentration and she hoped Sam would just ignore her and keep his attention on the road. He didn't say anything else, but she felt a hand that was no warmer than her own skin brush gently against her neck. _I'm still alive_ , she whispered in her own head, finding that even that was too much noise for her head to handle. The world slipped out of focus, not that it ever had really even _been_ in focus in the first place. It was no warmer in the darkness, but at least it didn't hurt so much.

* * *

Dean had felt her hand slip out of his and the fact that it didn't bother him the way it should have told him exactly how far gone he was. His mind was slowed, dulled by the numbness that seemed to be slipping through even his veins at this point. Fingers that felt like ice cubes refused to close in a fist as he tried to cling to Casey's hand. Slipping under the water yet again, Dean floundered. He couldn't kick, couldn't even really find it in himself to keep moving his arms. The ice cold water was probably freezing his blood so solid that he wasn't bleeding out from the hole in his leg, but it didn't do him much good considering how much blood he had already lost.

A mouthful of cold water filled his mouth and he didn't have the strength to choke it back out. It grew darker and he realized he didn't know which way was up anymore. The darkness, the numbness, the growing despair pulled him deeper even as his mind actually registered the fact that Casey wasn't holding onto his hand anymore. The thought had been there earlier, of course, but now, as he found himself actually, _literally_ drowning, the panic swelled like the waves and he couldn't have taken a breath even if he had wanted to.

 _Casey!_

Dean's chest felt like it was about to explode, same as his head and he just wanted to die in the next second or two rather than feeling the pain of losing Casey again.

A hand closed around his wrist and he felt himself being tugged upwards in a frantic, disorienting flight. And then, as quickly as it started, Dean found himself being unceremoniously dumped on the wet sand. Coughing as if his life depended on it, and at this point it did, he looked over and saw Casey doing the same.

"Echo," he choked out, reaching for her.

Casey looked at him and spit out a mouthful of salty sea water, panting, "Here's your beach."

"Not exactly what I had in mind babe," Dean chuckled, then threw up another mouthful of seawater. This wasn't exactly the _From Here to Eternity_ moment he'd always fantasized about. He waited for Casey to say something else but all she did was smile briefly and then pass out face first in the gritty sand.

"Great. This is just fantastic," Dean grumbled, even though it made him cough two dozen times to mutter those few words. Pulling himself halfway into a sitting position, he awkwardly dragged himself over to where Casey was lying and pulled her into his arms. Feeling her heart beating under his hand, he slumped back into the sand, her head coming to rest just under his chin.

Shivering and still coughing, he stared up at the black sky and the still falling rain and whispered into the dark stormy night, "Where the hell are you Sammy?"

* * *

Sam saw the roadblock ahead and slowed the car to a near stop. He'd barely been creeping along at a crawl already given the driving rain making driving conditions nearly impossible. There were no cops around, but the orange pylons provided a blockade that would not allow him to go any further. He pulled off to the side of the road but only slightly; not daring to pull off very far because he wasn't sure he'd be able to get the car out of the mud if he did. Staring out into the rain, Sam had a moment of despair.

How was he ever going to be able to find Dean and Casey in this mess?

"Sam?" Bennett's soft voice drew his attention from the monsoon outside the car. She had shifted slightly, peering up at him worriedly.

"There's a road block ahead. Had to pull over." Sam explained, eyes instantly back on the road ahead, and the beach to their right. Or what was _left_ of the beach, anyway. The waves were pounding up almost to the road at this point.

"We have to find them."

"We're going to." Sam assured her, digging in the glove compartment for a flashlight. "I'm going to go look for them."

Her hand came up to grasp his and she asked, "How are you going to find them?"

"I don't know. I'm going to look till I find them." He really didn't have a better plan than that. Pulling up his collar, Sam said, "Stay here…"

"Quit saying that. Everyone's always saying that to me." Bennett argued, pushing herself upright and adding, "Don't leave me here."

And he really didn't want to. Studying her for a second, Sam shook his head and said, "You're not going out there again. It's not going to do them any good if you fall over and I have to carry you out before we even find them." He hated himself for saying it, hated the flash of hurt in her eyes, but knew there really was no other option. Squeezing her hand as she slumped down against the seat, he said, "I'm going to find them, ok?"

"I know." Bennett offered him a small smile.

"Alright. I'll be back soon." He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss.

Since had less than no idea of where to start, Sam decided getting out of the car and heading straight for the beach was as good a plan as any other. The rain still fell in sheets, but somehow it seemed less angry. Less hostile. Less otherworldly. Even so, walking through the waterlogged sand was worse than walking through snow because every step he took sank into the wet sand. His boots were as wet as the rest of him and he didn't want to think about how Casey and Dean were doing.

He'd tried calling them several times on the drive, but there had been no signal which didn't surprise him considering the weather and the high level magic that had been utilized to bring up the ghost ships. Sam slogged through a low spot in the sand, stumbling slightly as the water nearly to his knees. He stared out into the darkness, thankful he had a high powered flashlight at any rate. There was no way to know if they had made it off the ship, let alone where they were now. A small part of him had honestly hoped that Casey and Dean would just appear at the museum. But after waiting there for almost fifteen minutes after he'd completed the spell, Sam had known better.

They would have been back by then if they had been able.

Which meant they were out here on the beach somewhere. He absolutely refused to believe that they had not been able to get off the ship. It was just a matter of finding them. Not exactly an easy task given the circumstances. Sam had long ago given up believing in anything like luck, but after ten minutes of struggling across the dark, flooded beach, he decided maybe he should reconsider.

Because apparently there _was_ still such a thing as luck.

"Dean!" Sam shouted, immediately kneeling down next to his brother.

He'd nearly tripped over him in the darkness. Heart thudding, he propped the flashlight in the sand and tugged at his brother until he was laying on his back in the sand, his arms still wrapped securely around Casey's shivering form. Sam took a steadying breath as a degree of his panic ebbed at the sight of them.

Alive. Breathing.

"Dean!" He shouted again, shaking Dean and finally being rewarded with the sight of his brother's eyes cracking open. "Trying to recreate _From Here to Eternity?_ Bit cold for that don't you think?"

"Sammy?" Dean's voice was a hoarse whisper, but a weary smile lit his face as he lifted a shaking hand to wipe the rain from his face, "Found us."

Sam grinned, "You always were crap at hide and seek. Wanna get off this beach?"

Dean groaned, letting his head thump back into the sand as he nodded. He coughed, then said, "I hate sand."

"Me too." Sam said in complete agreement.

"Take Casey first." Dean said, his teeth chattering as he blinked through the raindrops.

Sam hesitated only for a mere second. Because there really wasn't any better option. Dean wasn't going to be able to walk far considering how bad off he'd been earlier and Casey hadn't yet stirred. Sam eased Casey from Dean's grasp and, leaving the flashlight where it was, said, "Stay put."

Dean gave him a thumbs up and Sam saw him rolling onto his side, curling up as best he could against the rain. Casey was dead weight in his arms, but despite that and the sand, Sam practically jogged the entire way back to the Impala. Even if she was breathing, Casey felt like ice in his arms and he knew Dean had been bleeding badly before they'd headed off for the ship. There wasn't a lot of time left for either of them. If they weren't already, it wouldn't be long before they were both suffering from hypothermia.

The return trip seemed to take forever, and he was breathless and sweating by the time he saw the Impala. Struggling up the slight hill of sand that led to the car, Sam was surprised to see the back door opening. Bennett was waving at him and when he reached the car, he saw she had dug out a blanket from somewhere.

"Sam!" She shouted and he could see the tears on her cheeks in the pale light of the flashlight she was waving.

Reaching the car, he eased Casey into the backseat, into Bennett's waiting arms.

"Sam? Is she…"

"She's ok."

"Dean?" Bennett asked, wrapping the blanket around Casey and looking up at him.

"I'm going back for him." Sam said, making sure Casey was tucked into the car. "Be right back."

"Hurry." Bennett said, tightening her grip around Casey's shoulders.

Sam nodded, not liking the way she was looking about ten seconds from passing out. As he slammed the door, he saw her lowering her head to rest against Casey's shoulder and he decided running would be the best thing to do.

It took him half the time to get back to Dean. The flashlight in the sand provided enough of a beacon that he had no trouble finding him. Reaching his side, Sam saw that his eyes were closed and he quickly gave him a shake and called out his name.

Not waiting for a response, Sam just started pulling him into a sitting position; catching sight of the blood soaking into the wet sand under Dean's leg. Dean started rousing and by the time Sam had him upright, Dean was blinking at him blearily.

"Bout time."

"Everyone's a critic." Sam snorted, rolling his eyes and pulling Dean's arm over his shoulder. Ignoring Dean's gasp of pain as best he could, Sam dragged him to his feet and said, "You were right."

"What?" Dean mumbled, head hanging low.

Sam grinned at the disbelief in his brother's voice. Dean was exhausted and in obvious pain, but the irony that Sam was admitting that big brother was right about something was not lost on either of them. Sam took more of Dean's weight as he sagged and said, "You were right about this trip being a bad idea."

"Course I was." Dean snorted and said, "I told you so. No one ever listens to me."

"I listen to you."

Another snort. Apparently Dean was too weary to bother commenting this time.

As Dean stumbled again, Sam slowed his pace and said, "I always listen to you."

This time Dean's head lifted slightly and he cast Sam a sideways glance and asked, "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Sam smiled genuinely, then had to add, "Gotta listen for those rare occasions when you say stuff that makes sense."

"Haha." Dean huffed, his breathing harsh. After a few minutes, he asked, "Casey?"

"In the backseat under a blanket with Bennett."

"How's B doing?"

"Fading fast." Sam answered, relieved to see the Impala coming into view as the rain eased off even more with every step they took. He said, "I'm pretty sure they're both going to be out by the time we get there."

"Awesome. That's just super," Dean mumbled, his head drooping lower. Sam braced himself and found himself, not surprisingly, holding all of his brother's weight.

Sam decided the Impala was not at all close enough.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Casey woke abruptly. Her teeth were chattering and a vicious cough tore through her with her first conscious breath. Her eyes widened as she stared up at the ceiling. The last thing she'd seen above her had been a stormy sky and then Dean's worried face. Now, she saw mildew-spotted ceiling tiles. Chest spasming with teeth-rattling coughs, Casey tried to sit up, desperate to find Dean, but found she couldn't move. Something was holding her down.

"Casey! It's ok, it's ok."

 _Nothing is ok!_ Casey thought to herself, but couldn't find a way to make her mouth work yet. She blinked past the dark spots in her vision and the all encompassing cold that surrounded her as she tried to figure out who was trying to be comforting.

"Hey," Sam's worried smile came briefly into focus, "hey, it's ok. We're all safe, Casey."

"Dean?" Casey was surprised at how ragged her voice sounded. She blinked at Sam and whispered, "Dean's ok?"

The panic in her heart at not seeing him was making it hard to breathe, but Casey did feel herself relax just a bit when Sam's smile grew wider. He said, "Yes, your stupid boyfriend is fine."

"Not fine." A sleepy voice mumbled from somewhere to her left. "Got shot. By a ghost."

Casey's breath caught in her throat and she tilted her head to the left and came practically nose to nose with Dean. Mind like sludge, it took her a minute to work out that he was lying on his side on the bed right next to her and despite his obvious discomfort, he kept his arm protectively draped over her.

Casey let out the breath she was holding, letting her body soak up the welcome warmth of Dean's presence, hoping it would calm the chattering of her teeth. Some of the fear ebbed away now that he was in sight. She stared at him, trying to gauge his condition. Realizing she did not have the strength she needed to heal him, Casey felt a moment of defeat, but before she could even ask how he was, Dean spoke up.

"Stop that, Echo." His voice wasn't much stronger than hers had been.

"What?" Casey asked, trying to glare at him. It took a lot of effort though, so she gave up and just concentrated on not falling asleep.

"Stop worrying about me."

This time Casey found it easier to glare and insisted, "I'm not worrying."

Dean rolled his eyes and said, "You're worrying that you can't heal me. It's written all over your face."

She couldn't exactly deny it. Tears burned her eyes as she whispered, "I'm sorry. I just need a little time, ok? Then I can…"

"I forbid you." Dean said firmly, cutting her off.

"What?" Casey asked in disbelief. She blinked, then almost smiled as she asked, "Did you just say you _forbid_ me?"

"Yes. I forbid you from healing me."

"You can't forbid me."

"Yes I can."

"How do you figure?"

Dean lifted his arm and brushed her hair back from her face as he whispered for her ears only, "Because I'm the one who can't live without you. So I forbid you from using your powers until you are feeling 100% better."

A tear ran down her cheek at his words and the emotion in his eyes as he spoke them. She was everything to him. Ever since they'd come back from Purgatory, ever since regaining their memories, it had been one hard struggle after another. They'd both been so uncertain, so at a loss when trying to find their balance that more than once she'd doubted. Doubted that they could make it work.

Now she knew.

She had no doubts any more.

Casey nodded slowly and saw some of the worry in his eyes fade. Just as she was ready to drift off to sleep, safe and comfortable in his loving embrace, she caught sight of a glint of mirth in those deeply emotional eyes as he said, "But when you _are_ 100% better, I have a bullet hole in my leg you could patch up for me, ok?"

Casey laughed and nodded, "Deal." She finally managed to move her hand and grasp his. Squeezing gently, Casey asked, "Seriously though. How are you?"

"Great." Dean nodded, "Got shot by a ghost Nazi, fought a ghost pirate, never want to go near a beach again, but we're all alive so I'm calling it a good day."

Relief flooded her at his words, and Casey couldn't help but ask, "Really? No more beaches? Cuz I have this sweet little red bikini…"

"Oh you are _so_ wearing that on our vacation." Dean's eyes lit up and Casey laughed at the eagerness in his voice even if he was obviously exhausted and in pain.

"Our vacation?" Casey asked with a grin. "Where're we going?"

"Some place warm."

"Sounds awesome." Casey sighed, then realized the room had grown very quiet. She glanced around and saw that Sam had left the room at some point. Frowning, Casey turned back to Dean and asked, "What happened?"

Dean drew her closer and she settled against his chest, hearing the familiar thump of his heartbeat as he spoke, "We defeated the big bad. Dramatic escape and all…"

"I remember being soaked and covered in sand and seaweed…" Casey wrinkled her nose, still smelling it. "I need a shower."

"Later. Don't interrupt my thrilling tale."

"Fine. Go on. I just remember feeling like I'd swallowed the entire ocean."

"Yeah. And then you puked it up."

"Don't remind me about that." Casey groaned, "Go on with your thrilling tale. Get to the good part where we're safe and warm."

Dean rubbed her shoulder and said, "Sam found us on the beach. And got us off the beach. And got us here."

Casey rubbed at her eyes, trying to focus on the surroundings. She asked, "Where's here?"

"The cottage. Island's a mess. Guess they're evacuating and the school is the makeshift clinic. So we decided that we might as well just come back here rather than sit there with five billion people."

"There aren't five billion people on this island, Dean." Casey rolled her eyes, finally starting to feel warm.

Dean shifted next to her and said, "Maybe four billion. Whatever. The traffic was a bitch to get back here."

"How long have we been here?"

He shifted again and she saw him peering at his watch. Dean said, "Few hours. Finally starting to feel warm."

"Me too." Casey smiled, snuggling closer. "But I'm really looking forward to Florida."

"Miami?"

"Hmm."

"Disney World?"

Casey laughed at the undisguised excitement in Dean's voice. She said, "As long as we go to the beach too."

"Deal."

She relaxed and was almost asleep when she heard a quiet voice ask, "You two need anything?"

"We're good, Sammy." Dean answered and Casey yawned, glad he had answered for them. He added, "Go get some sleep."

Casey didn't hear if Sam replied. She was already asleep.

* * *

"They ok?" Bennett asked, hearing Sam come into the room.

"Yeah. You?"

"To quote your brother," Bennett said from under the pillow, "Fandamntastic."

She felt the bed dip as Sam sat down next to her and said, "He doesn't mean that in a good way, you know."

"Neither do I."

"That bad, huh?"

"Got hit by a tree, remember?" She whispered, the mere memory of it sending chills of renewed pain through her body. Fighting the itch to move because she knew it would only aggravate her murderous headache, Bennett tried yet again to relax into the bed.

Sam's voice was pleasantly and mercifully soft as he asked, "More ice?"

In answer, Bennett shoved the melted ice pack from under the pillow off the edge of the bed onto the floor.

"Be right back." Sam whispered and gently touched her shoulder before he walked out of the room.

She listened to him moving around in the kitchen and counted her blessings yet again that they were all alive and well. Drawing the pillow more tightly around her head, Bennett thought about how close they had cut it this time. And then decided thinking like that was a good way to make herself sick so she went back to counting her blessings. Sam hadn't told her how he'd managed to find Dean and Casey in the storm, not that she'd been awake enough to even follow him if he had told her. By the time he'd returned to the car with Dean, she had been barely awake, concentrating on the sound of Casey breathing.

The next thing she knew, she'd been carried into the cottage and bundled under a pile of blankets on the couch. Sam had assured her everyone was safe and that he'd patched Dean up and Casey was sleeping and she'd summoned enough energy to get out of her sopping wet clothes and into something warm and dry and fall into bed before she passed out from the pain. Ever since, she'd been floating in a drug induced haze thanks to whatever it was Sam had made her take.

"Here you go." Sam whispered, gently easing up an edge of the pillow and sliding an ice pack under the pillow.

"Thank you."

"No problem. Try to rest, ok?"

Bennett felt him start to move and reached out to grab his wrist and tug him closer. Forcing her head out from under the protective cover of the pillow, she kept her eyes closed but said, "Stay. Ok?"

"Ok." Sam said, sounding as tired as she felt.

No letting go of his wrist, Bennett pulled on him until she felt his arms around her. His hand brushed the throbbing bruise on her side, but he seemed to know exactly where it hurt the most and carefully kept his grip gentle and light around her shoulders. Shifting until she was laying on her side with her forehead pressed against his chest, Bennett felt him settle the ice pack against the top of her head.

"Better?" he asked.

"Perfect. Are they ok?" Bennett asked, needing one more confirmation before she could fully relax.

"They're fine. Probably going to sleep till noon and expect breakfast." Sam mumbled sleepily.

Bennett smiled slightly and said, "I want to sleep till noon too. What are we doing next?"

"Apparently we're going to Disney World."

"Really?" Bennett felt excitement bubble up despite the pain. "I've always wanted to go there!"

"So has Dean." Sam snorted, "Got a thing for Cinderella."

Bennett snickered knowing that was probably something Dean would never admit aloud. She asked what Sam wanted to see most, but he was already asleep. With a sigh, Bennett relaxed in the safety of his arms, listening to the gently falling rain.

* * *

Dean woke up to the smell of something burning. That was never a good smell to wake up to. Or to smell at any other time, actually. He blinked in the pale light of what might have been mid-afternoon or early morning for all he knew. Taking a moment to assess the situation, he saw that Casey was still soundly sleeping on the bed next to him and he carefully unravelled himself from her embrace. He would never have left that spot if it hadn't been for the knowledge that if he didn't Bennett was going to burn the cottage down.

Groaning as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, the burn of the wound in his leg making itself known as he moved, Dean sat there for a moment. The clock on the dresser showed it to be just after ten in the morning which seemed much earlier than it should have been given how hard he'd slept. Running a hand over his face, he was tempted to flop back down next to Casey, but the sound of a crash and muffled cursing from the kitchen reminded him he had a cottage to save from flames, so he dragged himself to his feet and unsteadily limped out of the bedroom.

Reaching the hallway, he called out, "Bennett? Are you trying to burn the house down?"

"I'm trying to make eggs." Bennett practically shouted, turning around quickly, then swaying dangerously.

"Whoa, whoa!" Dean stumbled toward her, catching her elbow before she could hit the ground. He pushed her into a chair at the table and said, "How're you doing, B?"

She gave him a very unconvincing thumbs up with one hand while she clutched the edge of the table with her other.

"Uh huh." Dean rolled his eyes, leaving her sitting there as he limped over to the stove and pulled the pan of black scrambled eggs off the burner. "What are you doing up anyway?"

"Was trying to make breakfast. I'm hungry." She mumbled, dropping her elbows onto the table and resting her head in her hands.

Dean would have laughed if she hadn't sounded so dejected. Instead, he scraped the eggs into the garbage and pulled out the carton of eggs from the fridge. He said, "I'm hungry too. I'll give it a shot, ok?"

"It's stupid eggs and I can't even do that right."

Cracking the first egg into the pan, Dean said, "Well, I guess eggs are lower on the scale of intelligent foods, but I think it's more the gas stove that was tripping you up. Just a good thing it _is_ gas and not electric since we still don't seem to have power."

By the time he'd started stirring up the eggs, Bennett still hadn't said anything, so he turned around to check on her. She still had her head in her hands, but looked up when he sat down across from her. She said, "Are we really going to Disney World?"

"Sure." Dean said, stretching his aching leg out and deciding another few days rest wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. He was amused that news of the impending vacation he and Casey had talked about had already made it to Bennett. _Never trust a little brother to keep his mouth shut_. "Sound like fun?"

"Yeah." She said with a tiny smile that faded almost instantly.

Dean was struck with how hard all of the recent events must have been for her and decided they were _definitely_ going to Disney World. He said, "How're you feeling?"

"Like I got hit by a tree."

"Not gonna let that go, are you?" Dean raised an eyebrow in amusement.

Bennett arched an eyebrow, straightening slightly and said, "How'd you get that hole in your leg, Dean?"

"Got shot by a Nazi ghost!" Dean grinned.

"Not gonna to let that go, are you?" Bennett smiled a bit longer this time, then said, "You're gonna burn the eggs."

Dean pulled himself back to his feet and headed back over to stir the eggs, resting his weight on his good leg. He heard the chair move behind him and saw Bennett holding out the salt shaker. Taking it, he asked, "Where's the boyfriend?"

"Sleeping. I think he's getting sick." Bennett said, rubbing her forehead. "He was coughing all night."

"Great." Dean muttered, adding salt to the eggs. "Just what we need."

"What I need is coffee."

He turned and smiled fondly when he saw Casey walk into the room, her bed head rivaling Sam's on a bad day and her eyes barely open. She leaned against the doorway and yawned. Dean said, "Mornin, beautiful."

"I hate mornings." Casey whined, crossing to the table and slumping down in the chair he'd just left a moment earlier. "Why am I awake?"

"Because you missed me." Dean said, giving her a quick kiss on the forehead and heading over to start the coffee.

Casey nodded, "I suppose. Make me coffee and I'll be sure."

"On it." He said, setting out some coffee mugs and asking, "How're you feeling, Echo?"

"Better. Could sleep for a month, but I'm better." She said with a smile, then glanced over at Bennett and asked, "How are you, Bennett?"

Dean caught Bennett's eye, saw the glint of humor and knew what she was thinking. She rolled her eyes though and said, "I'm ok. Headache."

"I bet." Casey said, "I can help with that…"

"No." Dean said at the same time as Bennett. Before he could say anything further, Bennett said, "It's just a headache, Casey. Wait till you feel all the way better, ok?"

Dean could tell Casey didn't like it, but the fatigue was evident in her posture and her expression. She nodded slowly and said, "Tomorrow. If you don't feel better tomorrow, I'm healing you. And you too." She looked at Dean meaningfully. "You're not limping all the way through Disney World."

"Deal." Dean said, serving the eggs up, then pouring the coffee and reaching for the bottle of painkillers. Handing first the coffee to Casey, then the medication to Bennett, Dean said, "Bon Appetit."

Both girls looked less than impressed but gratefully accepted what he offered them and Dean pulled out another chair, joining them at the table. He smiled as he watched Casey move to tie up her messy hair.

"What the hell?" She cursed. Her fingers pulled away from her dark locks, a good portion of them resting in her open palm.

Dean couldn't help but laugh, but quickly shut up when Casey glared at him.

Feeling more annoyed than anything, Casey stated, "Guess I'm due for a trim before I meet Prince Charming."

Bennett caught sight of the look of murderous jealousy on Dean's face and laughed so hard she nearly spit her eggs across the table.

* * *

 _The next day_

Dean tapped his fingers in growing irritation. He turned to Sam and said, "What is taking them so long?"

"They're getting their hair done." Sam muttered, not opening his eyes. He coughed a few dozen times then said, "It takes time."

"Cover your mouth." Dean grimaced, wishing he had a mask. "Don't spread your germs."

"Sorry." Sam said, tilting his head away and coughing another dozen times into his sleeve.

Shifting further to the left, Dean decided his bum leg could wait. The minute Casey was back to full strength she was healing Sam's cold. He shuddered as the coughing continued, then tapped the steering wheel in double time as he said, "We aren't going to make it to Disney World tonight if they don't hurry it up."

Sam's coughing turned to laughter and he opened his eyes, tilting his head to look at Dean as he said, "You're an actual five year old."

"You're an actual…" Dean started, breaking off and straightening abruptly as he caught sight of the salon door opening. Whatever comeback he had been about to say was completely forgotten when he caught sight of Casey stepping out into the sunlight. He muttered, "Holy crap."

"A five year old with a dirty mouth." Sam said in amusement, then looked forward and caught sight of Casey and Bennett heading their way and then _he_ was sitting up and said, "Holy crap."

Dean would have laughed but he was too busy trying to continue breathing. He was having a hard time even coming to grips with what he was seeing. When Casey had said she was going to get her hair done, Dean had expected a haircut to help disguise the areas where her hair had been burned off while aboard the Flaming Ship of Ocracoke. What he _had_ not expected was what he was seeing before him now.

Gone were Casey's long, dark chocolate strands. Now she was sporting short blonde hair in a modern, asymmetrical style that he found incredibly sexy. She looked stunning in her black leather coat and boots, with a pair of shades and bright red lips. Dean swallowed hard, wanting to go to meet her, but not certain he could actually move yet. Staring through the windshield as the girls walked toward the car, Dean realized Bennett's always wayward hair was still in her face, but was now also blonde.

Dean found his voice and said, "What the…"

"Hell." Sam finished for Dean.

They met each other's gaze and he was in so much shock that he didn't even yell at Sam when he sneezed in his face. Dean shook his head and said, "I did not see that coming."

"Me neither."

When the girls climbed into the back seat a moment later, he and Sam both turned as one and leaned their elbows on the back of the seat as they stared.

"See something you like?" Bennett asked, bouncing forward and kissing Sam.

"Yeah." Sam stammered, then started coughing again and Bennett ducked her head to avoid the germs.

"I see something I like too." Dean grinned, not breaking eye contact with Casey.

"You do, do ya?" Casey leaned forward, smiling.

"Oh yeah." Dean said, giving her a quick kiss, then started the car. As the girls sat back in their seats and Sam muffled another three thousand coughs, Dean rolled his eyes and said, "Time to get this family vacation on the road."

"Bout time." Sam said hoarsely.

"Can we get snacks?" Bennett asked as Dean pulled onto the road. "We need snacks."

He sighed and pulled the car right back off the road again and into the gas station. Bennett was out the door as soon as he parked and Dean decided he would turn a blind eye when she instantly darted to the far side of the parking lot and lit a cigarette. Casey got out of the car and he glanced over at Sam.

"Cold medicine and cough drops?" Dean asked with a grin.

"Yes please." Sam said, then sneezed again and added, "Maybe some kleenex too."

"Geeze, you germy freak." Dean glared at him, "I'm buying hand sanitizer too."

"Whatever jerk." Sam glared back, crossing his arms over his chest and resting his head on the back of the seat. "I caught this cold saving your stupid ass."

Dean saw Casey hovering by the door of the gas station and thought back to that night and the fear he'd felt when Casey was unconscious in his arms on the beach. He clapped Sam on the shoulder and said, "Yeah. You did. Thanks for that. Bitch."

Sam smiled and Dean got out of the car, catching Casey around the waist and pulling her close. He kissed her forehead and said, "You look phenomenal, babe."

"Yeah?"

"Very much so."

Casey touched her hair and said, "Good." She hugged him, then said, "So we're really doing this then."

"Doing…"

"The whole...family thing." Casey said and Dean was surprised to see the uncertainty in her eyes.

"Yes. We're doing the whole family thing. Complete with the germy younger siblings and constant requests to pull over for snacks," Dean cast a long-suffering sigh over at Bennett, adding, "and, apparently, smoke breaks."

Casey followed his gaze and said, "Give her time, Dean. She'll give it up. She just needs a little more time."

"I know." He nodded and said, "Shall we?"

"If we want to hit that beach so I can unpack my bikini, we should get a move on." Casey grinned, "I'll get the medicine for your poor brother and you get the snacks so we don't starve between now and Bennett's next smoke break."

"Deal." Dean said and opened the door for her. He paused as his phone rang and said, "Go ahead, I'll catch up with you."

"Don't keep me waiting." Casey said with a bewitching smile.

He grinned at her, then turned to answer the phone. Watching Casey walk into the gas station, Dean flipped his phone open and answered, "Cas? Hey, good timing. I've actually got a question for you. It's about your daughter…"

The End

* * *

 **Thanks for taking the time to read! Phew...No lie this process has taken us like three years to accomplish. It was a long time in coming, but we're both happy we finally got this posted! Thanks again from DamonsGirl92 and Noxbait! Now excuse us while we go plan our own trip to Ocracoke Island. :D**


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